Covert Operations
by flootzavut
Summary: This undercover mission is one that will challenge them both, though probably not in the ways they had imagined. Set late in season 2. Specific spoilers for 2.21 Hometown Hero, general spoilers for 1-2, some references to character details that aren't revealed till later seasons. T and staying that way, just so's you know - don't want to disappoint the M readers! KIBBS! :-)
1. The Assignment

**_WIP I'm afraid! I thought posting the start might give me a kick up the backside to work out and finish the rest..._**

**_GIBBS  
_**

"You know one time you mentioned the possibility of going undercover as Tony's wife?"

"What about it?"

"Well, there's this mission the director has a personal interest in, and it requires a couple..."

Gibbs mentioned it as casually as he could, his face deadpan, and his effort was amply rewarded by her indignation.

"Tony's wife? Tony's _wife_, Gibbs? Why, why would you do that to me? Am I being punished or something?"

With great effort he swallowed back the smile, the laugh, that would give him away.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger..."

Kate strode over to his desk and leaned over, dropping her fisted hands on top of his paperwork so she could glare into his eyes. "Why the hell not?"

He noticed, with concealed but considerable amusement, that she'd learned some tricks from him over the months. Her stare might not quite be a full on Gibbs stare, but he'd be willing to bet it would be almost as effective in interrogation as his, at least on anyone who had the misfortune to make her angry.

"I'm not the director... I'm just passing on the assignment."

She stood there for several moments, making him wonder if she was deciding exactly how she planned to torture and kill him. The tension in her jaw made him pretty sure she was grinding her teeth together, and it was hard to keep a straight face. Seeing her speechless was a rare treat, and it always brought him satisfaction that he could still do it to her.

Finally, she stood up with a low, irritated growl, and planted her fists on her hips.

"OK." She didn't sound at all OK, but Gibbs held out the mission file, trusting she'd decide to at least read it before she slammed up to Director Morrow's with the latest grievance. She snatched it from his hands, gave him one last dark look - the kind of look which, in his experience, tended to lead to painful revenge - and stalked back to her desk, sitting down with a thump and opening the folder with more force than was probably necessary.

Reassured she would be engrossed in the facts and plans for a while, Gibbs allowed himself a small smile of anticipation for when she found out just how misleading his question had been. He wasn't exactly sure how Kate would feel about going undercover with him, and her reaction to the details of operation might prove... interesting.

He grinned, shook his head, and started filling in the paperwork that would no doubt be interrupted again once Kate reached the salient parts of the brief. He'd better work while he was still able. And before she decided she might just shoot him after all.


	2. Revelations

**_KATE_**

Impotent rage was clogging her brain to such a degree that it took reading a good chunk of the mission brief to realise that Gibbs was playing her. She was pissed that he'd deliberately misled her, and even more pissed that she'd fallen for it so completely. Between fury and confusion, she had not yet figured out just how she fit into the plan, but there was no way in hell Tony and she would make a convincing couple for the scenario laid out in the documents she was reading. They needed an older man, somewhat distinguished, and while she was very fond of Tony (though naturally, she tried to keep that fact under wraps - his head was swollen enough already without knowing that she actually did care about him), and he was, no question, a good agent, it would take a lot more than grey hair to turn him into someone who'd look totally at home in the company of the rich and influential. He might have grown up with money, but suave and sophisticated he was not.

She shook her head. Gibbs had known exactly what he was doing, given her just enough of a clue to make her jump to totally the wrong conclusion, and allowed her to rant and rave at him then stomp off in a huff. If she weren't sitting in the all too public bullpen, she'd groan with embarrassment and maybe thump her head on the table a few times. She should know better by now. What had Abby said? He was getting sneakier the older he got. Kate was starting to believe it.

She let her mind wander, and allowed herself a little smile. So, maybe she felt like an idiot, and maybe she'd all but threatened to shoot her boss, at the top of her voice, in a crowded office area. Maybe she had jumped to a false conclusion, and quite probably she'd made a fool of herself, but there was undeniably a part of her that got a kick out of the fact Gibbs knew her well enough to bait her so effectively. And having watched his banter with established colleagues like Abby and Tony, hell, even Ducky, she was pretty certain that the fact he'd even tried... Well, it meant she was really one of the team. That he had enough confidence in her to tease her. That he liked her enough to play a joke on her.

That he cared.

She closed her eyes for a moment and gave herself a mental slap. "That way madness lies," she muttered to herself.

"Talkin' to yourself now, Katie Kate Kate?"

Her eyes snapped open, and she pursed her lips in disapproval. "DiNozzo, when are you gonna learn to quit being so damn nosy?"

"Hey, it's called investigating, Kate. It's what we 'Special Agents' do round here." He put air quotes round the title as if she were a little slow, and it was only another wave of relief that she really wasn't going under cover as his wife that stopped her from reaching over to slap some sense into him.

"Go do your work, Tony."

Tony opened his mouth to retort, but his witticism was squashed when a resonant voice chimed in.

"You heard the lady, DiNozzo. Go do your work."

"Yes boss. Sure boss. Sorry boss." He scurried to his desk, looking relatively contrite.

Gibbs appeared from round the corner, the shadow of a smile twitching at the edges of his mouth.

"Excited about your new assignment, Kate?"

She scowled. "You do know I could totally have gone postal and shot this whole place up, right?"

The smile came on full force now that he knew she knew, and he no longer had to hide his amusement. As usual she noticed how it changed his whole face, taking a decade off him at least, and causing the crow's feet around his eyes to crinkle in an irritatingly endearing way.

"Aww, c'mon, Kate. You think I don't know you better than that?"

His tone was gently chiding, shot through with laughter. She tried not to let herself be sucked into smiling back, into forgiving him too easily. When his expression lit up like that it was easy to forget how damn infuriating the man could be.

"There are things you don't joke about, Gibbs. Me pretending to be married to Tony? That's one of them, OK?"

"Say what, now?" Tony's head popped up at the sound of his name. "Me and Kate going undercover, boss?" He shot Kate a lascivious look and a growl. She rolled her eyes.

"No, Tony, I'm saving that up for if Kate ever breaks a few too many rules."

Tony pouted. "Damn. It would've been just like that movie, you know the one, where they go undercover, and at first she hates him, and then-"

"Sorry to disappoint you, DiNozzo. No playing dress up for you this time."

"So who do you get to go undercover with, Kate?"

Both men turned to look at her. She opened and closed her mouth like a stunned goldfish for a few seconds, then started rifling through the papers. "I, uh, I actually hadn't got to that bit yet." She could feel the colour rising in her cheeks, and she shot Gibbs a pleading look. "I haven't finished reading up on the case... Gibbs just gave it to me."

"So, do you know, boss? Who's Kate teaming up with, if it isn't me? Which, by the way, it totally should be, she's too hot for you to put her with McGee, no one would ever believe that, so, you know, I hope you've got someone believable, boss-"

"Yup. Yeah, I do, DiNozzo."

"Who?"

Gibbs glanced over at Kate, his expression indecipherable. "That... That would be me."


	3. Uncertainty

_**GIBBS**_

Tony blinked. "That's... That's interesting, boss."

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow at the young agent, who did at least have the grace to wither slightly under his stare. He didn't quite dare to look at Kate again. Since the director had given him this assignment, he'd been focused on all the information that he needed to get his head around, and though he'd relished teasing Kate, he hadn't really thought about it beyond figuring out the best way to get a rise out of her. He wasn't sure if, now she knew the alternative, she'd rather be undercover as Tony's wife after all. Suddenly, he felt decidedly off balance, not a feeling that he was used to, and one that provoked a stab of irrational anger

"You'll be running the op from here, DiNozzo, with McGee taking care of the technical side." He saw Tony's eyes light up and hurriedly added, "No, that does not mean you get to torture him or make him call you boss in my absence."

"Me? Would I?" he quipped.

The joke diffused some of the weird tension that had been building up since the moment he had revealed his role in the case, and hearing Kate's exasperated sigh morph into a giggle as DiNozzo pouted theatrically was a relief.

There was still an undercurrent of something in the air that he couldn't put his finger on, and when he looked over to her desk he wasn't convinced her absorption in the file was 100% genuine, but they'd figure things out. He trusted her, and there was no doubt she fit the necessary profile - he'd always tried to see her as an agent first, but a man would have to be blind not to notice she was beautiful as well as smart, sharp, and well trained.

He'd been careful to tamp down the initial buzz of attraction he'd felt for her back on Air Force One once she joined the team, ever mindful of rule 12. Claiming the title of bastard with a kind of ass backwards pride was one thing, but deliberately hurting people he cared about was not his style. And respect for women was maybe the only one of the many lessons his dad had tried to teach him that had actually stuck.

The last time he'd been undercover as a couple was with Jen. Seeing just how beautifully _that_ had worked out, he wasn't about to repeat his mistakes.


	4. Distinguishing Marks

_**KATE**_

Kate worked steadily away at the papers in front of her, memorising facts, absorbing information, and figuring out all the details she'd need to cover to ensure they pulled this off. But while the well trained part of her brain was being a special agent, she couldn't stop the whirling of her inner teenager, whose crush on her boss she'd never really managed to tame, never mind get over. She'd never been more aware of the fact that her desk was in Gibbs' sight line. Every time she gave in to temptation and glanced up he seemed to be engrossed in his own files, but she still felt like she was under a microscope.

Usually paperwork was a good distraction, the finer points of a case forcing her to concentrate on the matter at hand, but this time the effect was the opposite. The more she read, the more the butterflies in her stomach increased, and the more lightheaded she felt.

Going undercover with Gibbs had seemed challenge enough. But when he was posing as a millionaire playboy and she as his escort (she supposed she should be grateful they hadn't decided to go with "call girl", or possibly just, "high priced hooker"), she wondered just how her sanity was going to survive. She liked to think of herself as open minded, but it was a long stretch for a former Catholic schoolgirl, and as for when DiNozzo found out that particular detail... She winced. There would be no living with him. Though at least it was another reason to be grateful it was Gibbs, not Tony, she'd be working with.

Given this case had a possible mafia connection, they were going to have to be meticulous. The link was tenuous, but after seeing the charred remains of the last fed whose cover had been blown while chasing down a mafia target, Kate felt no temptation whatsoever to take any undue risks.

All the same, the amount of information they needed was overwhelming, and some of it, to Kate, just plain embarrassing. Abby may have convinced her to get a tattoo, and she was still mildly thrilled she'd actually gotten some body art, but the thought of the location and design being on file where she worked? Not good. It didn't sit well that the director might stumble across the information, but worse was the idea that her teammates might. Or that Tony would find out and enlist McGee's help to hack into the system; she could just imagine that would be the one incentive that might make DiNozzo brush up on his computer skills.

And then, of course, there was the fact that Gibbs would know, too. Of course, he claimed he already did, but she'd never quite summoned up the courage to ask how. Now he'd know for sure.

She sighed. At least Tony was out of the office, and McGee was working with Abby. No time like the present, she told herself, taking a few deep breaths and hoping it would stop her voice shaking. Get this over and done with, then pretend it never happened.

"So, Gibbs?"

"Uh huh?" He didn't even look up from the papers he was gathering together. Kate was pretty sure she was grateful for that.

"We have to... I mean, I need to know. just in case..."

"Need to know what, Kate?" His tone was impatient and exasperated, and she swallowed hard before continuing.

"Um... for the... undercover... thing. We need to know each other's distinguishing... marks..." She knew she was blushing, and cursed inwardly that he had to choose this precise moment to look up at her.

"What're you asking me here, Agent Todd?" Her face grew warmer. She knew - just knew - that he was teasing her again. His face was expressionless except for the tiniest twitch at the corner of his eye. She bit back a sarcastic retort. A sure instinct told her that it was safer to roll over on this one, instead of risking the torture being extended.

She sighed. "Scars, tattoos, identifying marks? So there are no potential surprises during the mission?" She didn't want to imagine the situation where Gibbs' surprise at seeing her ass might compromise their cover, but it seemed better just to follow orders than to probe too deeply.

He grinned and raised an eyebrow even as his fingers unconsciously strayed to the evidence of Ari's bullet.

"Gibbs, we need to know this stuff, just in case."

He got up from his desk, not even pretending now to hide how amusing he found it.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he quipped as he strolled over to her. The wicked look on his face told her, as if she needed proof, that he was thoroughly enjoying her discomfiture.

"Ha ha, very funny."

He leaned over her desk, getting into her face. That irrepressible eyebrow rose again, and a slow, lopsided smile spread over his features. He chuckled, then leaned over a little further to murmur in her ear before he headed up to MTAC.

"Who said I was joking, Katie?"


	5. Insomnia

**_KATE_**

Kate forced herself to open her eyes once more. Gibbs' comment, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," would have gotten to her no matter what, she was sure. But what she really could not shake was how it had felt to have him whisper seductively in her ear, and the implication that he wasn't joking. She was sure - well, almost sure - that he was just up to his usual mind games, but to say it had left her a little hot under the collar the rest of the afternoon was an understatement.

Gibbs had disappeared off to MTAC and was still in conference up there when she finally left to go home, so she'd never had the chance to tackle him again about the whole distinguishing marks thing. It was probably best he hadn't seen just how flushed and flustered she'd been, but on the other hand it meant they'd have to deal with it tomorrow, and every time she shut her eyes, her brain replayed the feel of his breath on her ear and neck, and then raced off on a flight of fancy of what she'd've liked to happen next. On a normal night in a normal week, she might even have welcomed the fantasy, knowing from experience that they usually lead into her favourite kind of dream... but tonight all she wanted was deep, dreamless sleep so that she could face Gibbs tomorrow and ask him if he had a tat on his ass without having to try and forget salacious dreams where she'd inspected his backside personally and closely to find out.

She wondered if they'd ever get given an assignment where they had the luxury of a long, detailed preparation, with masses of time to go over every eventually. At least they weren't going undercover full time unless they discovered he case required it, but this Saturday LJ Hamilton Jones, Esquire, and his "close personal friend" Katherine l'Etoile were expected at a party at one of the embassies. If she and Gibbs didn't convince the right people there, they could jeopardise the entire mission.

With a heartfelt groan, she got up and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water and one of the sleeping tablets she'd held on to just in case from the last time her life had gotten turned inside out. It had been Gibbs' fault then, too, she mused, as she made her way back to bed. Maybe she was destined to shoot the man after all.


	6. Waiting

**_GIBBS_**

Gibbs glanced at his watch for what seemed like the thousandth time, and humphed to himself. Why did it take women so damn long to get ready for anything? Sure, it was an embassy party, but Kate not only had Abby, but Abby had called in Cassie for backup, and how it could take the three of them more than 20 minutes to make sure Kate was ready to go was beyond him. She'd now been down there for two hours, and he was beginning to think they'd just used it as an excuse to bunk off for a couple of hours of girl talk before things got serious.

Fortunately they still had plenty of time. DiNozzo and McGee had left an hour before, DiNozzo bitching about having to be undercover as a waiter for this one (Gibbs had to admit, if only to himself, that Tony had a point - evidently the staff at the Moroccan embassy went in for ridiculously formal attire, and Tony had looked like a refugee from a bad 50s movie), and McGee babbling about just how exactly he'd wired them all up so that he could monitor every movement and every conversation from the van hidden in a back street.

He looked at his watch again. He could forgive Kate for needing a little time out, if he was honest. She'd been nervous and jumpy for two days, more nervous than he would've expected for a woman who'd been employed to put herself between a bullet and the President, and more nervous than she should be after the best part of two years as an investigator. He'd hoped to get the chance to make her open up so he could help her take the edge off before they actually got to the place, but he supposed Abby and Cassie might be better therapy than a grumpy old bastard in a penguin suit.

Cassie had come loaded down with confiscated outfits fit for a playboy's escort, and remembering Cassie's typical attire drawn from the same source, he figured he'd be grateful that they were building relationships, not actively investigating, tonight. Kate asking him about tattoos had amused him at the time. After a night or two when even sanding wood at 2am had still left him struggling to sleep soundly, he'd been painfully reminded of why mixing personal relationships with a mission was never a good idea.

He'd known about the heart on Kate's backside for at least a year, but the conversation had left him wondering what other body art, scars or... Well, other interesting physical attributes Caitlin Todd was hiding under those well tailored but almost invariably modest outfits he was used to seeing her in. And wondering if this assignment would provide any opportunities to find out. He knew it was unprofessional to speculate, but apparently his libido didn't care.

He'd been so successful in treating her as one of the guys, had trained himself not to notice or think of her as anything other than an agent, and not to even need to make an effort not to check her out. He had become entirely complacent, and the sudden reminder that she was emphatically not just a guy had made mincemeat of the self restraint he'd used to such good effect her first few months at NCIS. Kate Todd the Special Agent he had learned to cope with pretty well. Kate Todd the woman, away from work and no longer having to outwork and outman the men to prove to prove her balls - a Kate Todd whose role in the mission depended at least partly on convincing people she was sharing his bed more often than not - would be much more of a challenge.

So he'd tried to tone down his impulse to flirt with her and tease her. Going undercover as a couple might turn out to be too much temptation all on its own. Indulging in fantasy and conjecture in between times would just be stupid.

Once more he checked the time, then made a decision. Twenty more minutes, and he was heading down to the lab. Kate would just have to go to the party in whatever she damn well happened to have on at the time. He just hoped that whatever it was was high necked and ankle length, so he'd have a chance at spending an evening pretending they were lovers without short circuiting his brain out of all common sense.


	7. The Dress

_**KATE**_

"Cassie, this is beautiful!"

"I know. Thank drug kingpins with expensive mistresses. The best thing about working these cases."

The confiscated dress was a deep red cheongsam, the fabric rich silk with embroidery emphasising its curves. Superficially, with its high neckline and capped sleeves, it looked modest enough, but she could tell it would cling to her body like a second skin, and when she reached out to touch it she saw that it was split to the thigh.

"You have to try it on, Kate! Oh, I'm so excited!" Abby's enthusiasm always made Kate smile, even though sometimes it was a little over the top.

"I brought stockings and high heels, too," said Cassie. "And matching lingerie."

"Stockings?"

"Well, hold ups, really..."

Kate blanched. "I don't know if I'm a hold ups kinda gal, Cassie. And why would I need matching lingerie?"

"You're not, your character is. And it's all about getting into that. Just trust me, Kate. I do this kind of thing for a living, you know."

Kate pulled a face, but the girls didn't take no for an answer and she was shoved unceremoniously into the back of the lab to change.

As she dressed she could hear Abby's excited chatter, and winced a little when she heard mention of dark eyeshadow and lipstick. "I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered to herself.

When she was safely in the dress she peeped shyly into the main lab, and was almost immediately pounced on. The ankle length dress hugged her curves, and swished gently as she walked over to them. She had to admit to herself that she felt a million dollars.

"You look amazing, Kate."

Kate blushed. "Thanks. I'm not sure about these hold ups, though, Cassie. The lacy bit might, um, show a little when I walk..."

Cassie grinned widely.

"She's so naive, huh, Cassie?" said Abby.

"That's kinda the idea, Kate," Cassie explained with a wide smile.

"Oh. Oh right."

"Now... Makeup!" Abby brandished her brushes.

"I don't know if I can pull off your kind of colours, Abby..."

Abby cocked her head to one side with the kind of speculating look that Kate had learned to fear. It was the same look that had preceded Kate getting her tattoo.

"Please, Abby... Cassie?"

Cassie just grinned, and Kate realised this was an argument she was destined to lose.

To her relief, the makeover didn't take as long as she'd feared. The mirror in her compact didn't show her much, but she was pleasantly surprised that, although dramatic, the makeup was also flattering and... Well, maybe even sexy. The deep red lipstick was an excellent match to her dress, and the subtle smokiness of her eyeshadow was something she'd often tried herself but had never quite mastered. Cassie had piled Kate's hair on her head in a loose chignon, with tendrils curling around her face, and Kate felt that she might, after all, be able to pull this off.

Cassie produced a black beaded clutch which she and Abby loaded up with lipstick and other make up, and then Abby sprayed her with one of the more exotic perfumes from the collection she'd amassed for her forensics work. Kate managed, just barely, to stop Abby from adding a few things she was certain she would not need - a pack of condoms being the least embarrassing item in the collection. The girls helped her secure her gun in a holster on her thigh, and Kate took a deep breath.

"OK, I'm ready." Kate didn't sound convincing even to her own ears, but her friends both nodded.

"Oh, yes you are, Kate," Abby replied with certainty.

"Well, she'd better be," a voice chimed in from the door of the lab. "Whatever you're wearing right now will have to do, Agent Todd. I don't care about being fashionably late, there's important work to be done and we gotta-"

Abby span Kate gently round, and Gibbs stuttered to a halt. Kate couldn't help smiling. She'd never seen Gibbs speechless before, and the fact that she had apparently prompted it was... Gratifying. She tried not to examine the pleasurable little squirm in her stomach too closely.

"Struck dumb in the middle of a lecture, Gibbs?" asked Cassie with a smile.

"I think that's unprecedented," said Abby.

Gibbs blinked and then visibly pulled himself together. He strolled in close to Kate and looked her up and down appraisingly. "Nice, Kate. Very nice."

Kate forced herself to meet his gaze and not to react to his frank appreciation. "So, time to go?"

He nodded, slipped her arm into his, and lead her out of the lab.

As they got into the elevator, he smiled mischievously and winked at her. She only had a second to wonder what he meant by it before Abby poked her head through the lab door and called "Have fun!"

Gibbs saluted Abby with his free hand, then, as the doors closed, replied "Don't wait up."

**_ABBY_**

Back in the lab, Abby and Cassie looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face?" spluttered Abby.

"I thought he was going to choke." Cassie shook her head. "Never seen anything like it."

"Yup. Bossman got problems," Abby agreed with satisfaction.


	8. Undercover

**_KATE_**

The drive to the party was a quiet one. There had been a short ride to the house where the limo service was to pick them up, and then the chauffeur drove through the D.C. streets, navigating the traffic with an ease born of long practice. Kate wasn't sure if it was illusory that the ride was smoother in the luxury car, but she could certainly get used to this. Though of course, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Gibbs had handed her into the car like a perfect gentleman, and then when he joined her in the back seat he had taken her hand. She wasn't sure if it was to help sell their cover or to reassure her, or simply because he wanted to hold her hand. The unexpected contact was frying her brain, and try as she might she couldn't recall whether the driver was in on the deception or someone they were trying to fool.

She was almost disappointed when they arrived at the embassy. Washington could be quite beautiful when she wasn't fighting her way through the inevitable traffic snarls, and Gibbs' strong and calloused hand closed around her own was another feeling she would certainly not mind getting used to. She regretfully let go when the chauffeur opened her door, and was more pleased than she wanted to show when Gibbs took it again as the limo drove away.

Once they were safely alone, he glanced around them, then gently turned her to face him and took her other hand. Kate swallowed nervously at the intimate contact, and tried to smile.

"Kate," he started.

"I know, I know. Watch the watchers, pay attention to everything I hear, I have a knife in the lining of my bag, and I know my backstory inside out so I can be as specific as you could want when I lie, Gibbs." She spoke low and fast, annoyed by the slight shake of nerves in her voice. "Did I forget anything or can we get on with this?" It came out sounding snappier than she'd intended, and she hoped he'd put it down to the case, not him.

He smiled, a gentle, almost tender look that she wasn't used to seeing on his face. "LJ, remember? And I trust that you know the rules." He chuckled. "Actually, Kate, I just wanted to tell you you look beautiful tonight."

Kate barely had time to react before he was leading her towards the ornate embassy entrance, and the doorman was welcoming them and taking her wrap before she managed to take another breath.

One thing was for sure. This was going to be... interesting.


	9. Caught

**_GIBBS_**

Gibbs wondered if this was God, or maybe just karma, displaying a sick sense of humour. Kate was certainly covered from head to toe, but the effect was the opposite of what he'd prayed for. It didn't remotely detract from her sex appeal.

When he'd first seen her down in Abby's lab he'd had to stifle the urge to whimper, and he could only imagine what conspiracies and gossip Abby was cooking up with Cassie back at headquarters. He sighed. Not actually making a complete fool of himself was about the best he could have hoped for. He'd have to be on guard tonight otherwise he'd probably finish the job.

He glanced down and instantly regretted it. The slit in Kate's dress revealed a glimpse of long, smooth leg encased in sheer black every time she took a step, and if he wasn't much mistaken, what he'd just seen was the band of lace keeping the nylon in place on her thigh.

He was relieved to see the Secretary of the Navy, one of the few people in attendence who was aware of the op. He placed a hand on the small of Kate's back and guided her over to the man, grateful to spend a few minutes in apparently casual small talk with someone he didn't need to fool. SecNav introduced himself as if they'd never met, and they exchanged inconsequential pleasantries. After a while Gibbs let himself drift, leaving the man to entertain and flirt with Kate while he scanned the room for any of the people they needed to contact.

When he'd established there was no one there whose face he recognised from the mission file, he asked, again with carefully worded indifference, whether there was anyone there he should meet.

The secretary thought for a moment. "I should introduce you to Monsieur Benoit. He's a businessman... of sorts." The latter he added in an undertone, and with the smirk that always surprised Gibbs even though he'd known the man for years.

"Kate. Mingle."

Kate nodded and wandered over to the buffet table.

"It's hard to tear your eyes away from her in that dress, isn't it?"

Gibbs blinked, then shrugged and grinned. There wasn't much point denying it, and at least the dress was a pretty good excuse. Looking around, he realised that she was attracting much more than her fair share of male attention. "You caught me," he said, spreading his hands in supplication.

The secretary chuckled. "I won't tell if you don't. Now, let me introduce you to René."


	10. Waltzing

**_KATE_**

Kate worked her way round the ballroom that was the heart of the party, chatting and flirting with what seemed like a neverending supply of the rich and well bred. She was starting to feel like she'd get cramp from smiling so much, but so far, at least, she didn't seem to have roused anyone's suspicions.

"May I have this dance?" said a voice in her ear.

She turned around, trying not to show how much the question had made her jump. The man was tall, with the air of a bird of prey, and she made a mental note that he sounded British. Perhaps it was the predatory expression on his face that made Kate feel like some small furry creature, but whatever it was, she instinctively felt she needed to be on her guard.

He didn't wait for an answer, but took her hand and pulled her on to the dance floor.

"So, what's a beautiful girl like you doing at a shin dig like this?"

Kate was grateful that the man held her only lightly, but she still had to restrain herself from looking around for rescue from Gibbs, or in a pinch, even DiNozzo. He raised an eyebrow at her hesitation, and she smiled, trying to cover up her discomfort.

"I'm here with my... boyfriend."

His eyebrow went up even further. "Boyfriend? Or employer?"

Kate reminded herself of the part she was playing, and forced herself to shrug a shoulder as if the question didn't bother her in the slightest.

"Hmmm." He pulled her a little closer, and she got the strangest impression, up close, that some part of his appearance didn't quite fit. As they moved around the floor, she studied his face, trying to work it out.

He was studying her closely too, and suddenly smiled. She couldn't help noticing that he had a crooked smile, like Gibbs, but this smile was humourless and cold. She forced herself to smile back, trying to pretend that the look on his face wasn't making her skin crawl.

Seeing Gibbs over his shoulder, she glared at him, hoping he'd remember he was supposed to be the jealous type. After a moment she caught his eye, and glared a little harder. His expression darkened, and though the stranger chose that moment to spin her round, she wasn't too surprised when, moments later, a familiar hand clasped proprietorially around her waist.

In a cool but firm voice, Gibbs staked his claim, and though Kate couldn't read the stranger's expression, it sounded convincing to her.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to dance with _my_ date."

The emphasis was slight, but there was no missing the implied threat. Kate found she rather liked the possessive note in his voice. The man stared over her shoulder at Gibbs for a moment, then dropped his hands from her body.

"M'lady," he said with a sardonic look and a little bow, then turned on his heel and stalked off.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Gibbs to express her gratitude, but the look on his face as he stared after the man made her hesitate._ I guess he's good at acting jealous_, she told herself.

"Who was that?"

Kate shrugged. "I've no idea. But he gave me the creeps." She shivered slightly, and though he was still staring over her shoulder, his hands gently chafed her arms as if she was cold. The gesture was strangely comforting.

Finally he looked down at her and smiled, chasing away the anger in his expression. "So, would you like to dance, Miss L'Etoile?"

She smiled in response. "Well..."

His smile widened a little. "Please?"

She chuckled, glad he realised she was teasing him. "Well, when you ask so nicely..."

He didn't give her a moment to change her mind before sweeping her off in a surprisingly adept waltz.

"I didn't know you could dance," she murmured, and felt rather than heard his chuckle.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Kate."

There was a note in his voice that made her look up into his eyes. His gaze was fixed on her face, and she was unable, or maybe afraid, to read his expression.

After a few moments, he smiled again. "Let's just dance, Katie." His words were soft, and she was disarmed by his unexpected use of her nickname.

She nodded, and relaxed in his arms, reminding herself that moments like this didn't come along too often, and over thinking them was a waste. _Just enjoy it, Kate. Just enjoy it._


	11. Retreat

**_GIBBS_**

Gibbs discarded the smart jacket the second he walked through the door. Minutes later he was in sweats and an ancient, worn NIS t shirt, his tread heavy as he made his way to his basement and his boat.

Professionally, it had been a good evening. They'd been accepted into the elite without any significant problems, helped along by introductions from SecNav and his cronies. The cover ID they'd set up in New York had been pinged several times, and Abby reported it was still secure, so anyone who'd been suspicious enough to check it out had gone away satisfied. They'd established a beachhead, and the plan could move forward. He thoroughly deserved the mug of bourbon he'd just poured for himself.

Personally, however, Gibbs was wondering if he'd last too many more evenings like that. For a year, maybe longer, he'd been able to pretend to himself that any residual attraction between them was safely covered up, submerged below layers of gentle teasing, mutual trust, and a bedrock certainty that romance would compromise their professional relationship. He'd put that initial flash of desire down to andrenaline and an attractive woman, and consciously labelled anything else between them as friendship and respect. A good relationship, even a close one, but nothing romantic.

His certainty had served him well until tonight. Kate looking like a goddess... that had been a punch to the gut. The flare of jealousy seeing her dancing with another man. The look on her face... the feel of her in his arms...

He took a too-large sip of the bourbon, and winced as the burn hit his throat. The waltz had been fun, if uncomfortably romantic, and he'd more or less managed to keep it light, teasing her, making her laugh. He was aware they would have seemed the image of a happy couple to anyone watching.

Then the orchestra had segued into a slow, lingering ballad, and without even thinking about it he had drawn her closer. He'd realised his mistake instantly, but there was no way he could push her away and leave her standing alone on the dance floor. It wouldn't help their cover any, and even if it didn't jeopardise the op, when Kate slipped her arms around his neck, there was no way in the world he could have resisted.

He'd lost track of time with her head resting on his shoulder, his cheek resting against her hair. He could smell the perfume Abby had spritzed over her, and an underlying scent which was uniquely Kate. He'd exercised all his self control not to cross any lines - not to run his hands up her ribcage, not to caress the skin of her neck, not to gently explore the curve of her hips... He took a ragged breath at the memory.

Eventually, after somewhere between ten minutes and ten hours drifting in a little slice of heaven, they had drifted to the side of the room, and he had leaned over to kiss her. The part of his brain that was still trying to save his sanity aimed his mouth at the corner of her lips, and though he lingered longer than was probably wise, he managed to summon the willpower not to cup her cheek with his palm and tilt her head for a real kiss. That had been quite an achievement, all told. Especially when he drew back and saw the emotion simmering in her eyes.

They had survived the rest of the evening and driven home in silence, but their hands had crept together, and when he closed his eyes he could still remember the feeling of her fingers entwined in his.

Sighing, he grabbed some new sandpaper and a sanding block, and slid gingerly under the boat frame. He seemed to spend his entire life sanding, but with a bit of luck, he'd fall asleep down here. His boat was one thing he could always rely on.

And at any rate, sanding seemed a safer option for tonight than anything involving sharp edges.


	12. Phonecall

_**KATE**_

Kate couldn't decide whether she was grateful or not that the party had been on a Saturday night, and that they weren't expected in the office till Monday. Working from home recording impressions, contacts, and conversations had seemed like a really good idea at the time. But now it just meant 24 more hours before she saw Gibbs again, and she had no clue whatsoever if that was going to be a good thing or not. If she didn't occupy her mind sufficiently, it kept drifting back to the feeling of being cradled in his arms on the dance floor, or of his fingers wound into hers.

Despite not getting back home till gone 2am, she'd woken bright and early at 6. Or if not bright, at least early. She'd managed to force herself to get a couple more hours of restless sleep, but since then she'd struggled to settle to anything for more than ten minutes at a time.

She clenched her jaw and turned back to the screen of her laptop, forcing her brain back to the details. But she hadn't realised how tense she was till the phone rang and her heart rate spiked as if she was facing a terrorist wired with a semtex suicide vest.

"Hello?"

She hated the fact that her voice was breathy and eager, and tried to hide her disappointment when the caller was just Abby.

"So?" Abby inquired, after racing through the formalities without actually listening to any of the replies. Her excitement was almost palpable, and Kate screwed her eyes shut. Abby generally stayed out of Gibbs' love life, but she'd never been shy about poking her nose into Kate's, and there had been a downright mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she'd seen them off from her lab.

"So what?" she said, trying for nonchalant, but suspecting she just sounded cagey.

"So... How was it? Last night? The party?"

Kate didn't want to lie to her friend, but she really, really didn't want to talk about what was occupying her mind the most. Once again she regretted the unfortunate reality that working such long hours in such a demanding job made having friends who weren't connected with NCIS difficult at best. She could always phone Rachel in Florida, but it wasn't the same as being able to share a bottle of wine with a girlfriend, and she didn't want to worry her sister.

Creative misunderstanding would be the best course, she decided, and kept her tone light as she described the evening as a successful mission, how strange it was to have SecNav flirt with her, and anything else she could think of that might distract Abby from asking her what it was like being on a date, albeit a fake one, with Gibbs.

To her credit, Abby managed five whole minutes of making interested noises before she interrupted Kate in the middle of her description of the creepy Brit she'd danced with.

"So Kate, it's fun hearing your gossip and all, but that wasn't really what I meant. And... I think you knew that."

"What?" Kate was pretty sure her fake innocent tone was about as convincing as a combover.

"I saw the way the boss man was looking at you, Kate. I can spot trouble when I see it..."

"I... I don't know what you mean..." More combover level deception, she knew.

There was silence at the other end of the phone.

"Abby?"

The silence stretched out, and Kate closed her eyes, biting her lip and willing herself not to break it.

It seemed to go on forever, but eventually she heard Abby sigh.

"We should play poker sometime, Kate," she said drily.

Kate allowed herself to breathe again. "Sounds like fun."

"You get a free pass this one time, Caitlin Todd. One. Time. Next time I see the hint of a sparkle, sniff a whiff of chemistry..."

"Thanks Abs," she replied, then winced, realising she'd all but admitted she had something to hide.

Abby chuckled, her voice low and husky, clearly satisfied with her success. "You know where I am, Kate, when you're ready to talk. And no more free passes."

"Uh... I'm pleading the fifth..."

Abby laughed again. "OK, go back to your reports, girl. And remember, Big Brother is watching you. _Both_ of you."

Kate couldn't help laughing too. Trust Abby to know something was up when really there was hardly anything _to_ know. "More like little sister, Abs. See you tomorrow?"

"You know it."

Pouring herself a cup off coffee before she went back to her computer, Kate found herself smiling. Much as Abby's perceptiveness made her feel terrifyingly exposed, there was something to be said for having someone to talk to if she needed it. And she got the strongest impression that Abby was on her side on this one. Everything else aside... That made her feel just a little better.


	13. Coffee

**_KATE_**

"Terrible coffee, Kate."

"Well I didn't buy it for you, Gibbs."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, took a sip, then turned back to the screen.

"OK, so Kate and I are undercover at this, uh, tennis club? McGee's on surveillance, and DiNozzo, you check out that cold case, see if it just got hot again. Abby's ALS-ing the uniforms, see if she got anything. I'm gonna check in with Ducky."

He turned on his heel and strode off toward the elevator, leaving the three young agents looking at each other.

"What's up with Gibbs today, he seems... Different."

Kate shrugged and rolled her eyes, trying to appear casual and composed. Wherever this conversation went, she was pretty sure getting involved could be seriously dangerous for her mental health.

"He's almost... cheerful," Tony continued. "It's not natural."

Tim smiled. "Well, I like it."

"You would, Tim."

"Hey, I'm just saying-"

"You don't get to say, Probie. I'm the senior field agent, and I say it's not normal."

Kate tried to suppress her chuckle at McGee's expression. As much affection as she had for Tim, he was so easy to tease it was hard to resist the temptation. He went to his desk and started typing away furiously, clearly trying, and failing, not to show he was sulking.

Her comeuppance came quickly.

"Kate." Tony narrowed his eyes at her, and her heart sank. When he wasn't being an idiot, he was a fine investigator, and right now, she really wished he wasn't.

"What, Tony?" She injected as much longsuffering and disdain into her tone as she could.

"You were with Gibbs this weekend. Why's he acting so weird?"

Kate sat down at her desk and shuffled through her papers, glad of the excuse to avoid his gaze for a while. "How should I know, DiNozzo?"

"Well, Kate, you did spend the evening with him. The last time I saw you guys you were waltzing or something."

She swallowed, pushing back the memory of that dance. "We were working, Tony. You know, work, that stuff we get paid for? The reason they let us carry guns? It's not like we were on a date."

The instant the word escaped, she knew she'd made a mistake. Even in denying it, putting her and Gibbs in the same sentence as the word date...

"Date?"

She let out a long sigh. It was mostly to make sure her voice didn't shake when she spoke, but she hoped it would come across as irritated.

"Tony. I spent almost the entire evening talking to a bunch of rich strangers, trying not to say anything that might get me shot at some point in the future, making nice, and smiling till my face hurt. I'm pretty sure Gibbs did exactly the same thing. Why are you fixating on this?"

"I am not _fixating_, Kate. Just curious why the boss is in a good mood today. If you say you don't know, well..." He shrugged theatrically.

_This so isn't over_, she thought to herself. "Gibbs in a good mood? Please." Her tone was acerbic. "He's just a little less grumpy than usual this morning, probably because he didn't have to pay for his coffee, since he stole mine."

Tony gave her another long look, and she congratulated herself on holding it.

"Shouldn't you be going down to Abby's lab?" she prodded. "Unless you're trying to get him to head slap you when he finds out you're not actually working, of course."

By the expression on his face, he'd totally forgotten the cold case. She knew despite his veneer of arrogance he was always anxious for the chance to prove himself. She could almost see his curiosity warring with wanting to impress their boss.

Ambition overcame inquisitiveness, to her relief, though from the look he shot her, she was going to have to be on her guard. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard elevator doors close behind him, and turned back to the papers on her desk. How much of it would go in while her thoughts were so scattered was debatable, but with Gibbs out of the bullpen, maybe she'd actually get a little work done before lunch.


	14. Down In The Duckpond

**_GIBBS_**

"Jethro! I wasn't expecting you. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to look at those old autopsy reports yet. I didn't think they were so urgent. We took advantage of a quiet moment to do some paperwork. Mr Palmer is chasing up requisition orders, then I believe he's collecting something for Abby."

"Actually, Duck, it's DiNozzo you need to talk to about those, I just-"

"I'm not certain the latter was work related, to be honest. Jimmy was frustratingly vague on the matter, and as you know, I don't like to pry. It's not like him to be so enigmatic, usually I can hardly get a word in edgeways. Do you know what it's like to work with someone who simply cannot listen?"

Gibbs stifled his grin. "I think I can probably imagine, Ducky."

"However, he is proving to be a capable assistant, something of which I was by no means certain when he first arrived. He reminded me of a young man I knew in my RAMC days, terribly unfocused, and then one day-"

"Duck?"

The doctor looked up, seeming almost startled. Gibbs got the impression that Ducky had momentarily forgotten he wasn't just talking to a dead body.

"Oh, I do apologise, Jethro. You distracted me."

Gibbs allowed himself a little smile. "Sorry, Duck."

"What was it you asked me?"

"Actually, I just came down for a change of scene, needed some quiet to think over this case. And maybe catch up on sleep for a few minutes."

Ducky creased his brow. "Then why on earth did you want to know about the Royal Army Medical Corps? I do have work to do, you know."

"I know, Duck. I'll let you get on with it. OK if I borrow one of the tables for a while?"

"Of course you may, Jethro, though I didn't realise you'd had such a busy weekend. Usually your morning coffee lasts longer than that, unless you've been up all night."

Gibbs frowned at the cup in his hand. "It's not my coffee. It's Kate's."

"Ah!" Ducky's confusion cleared instantly. "Cream and sweetener. Say no more. I'll just get on with sorting these files if you don't mind."

"Thanks, Duck."

The doctor shuffled back to his desk, and Gibbs made his way to one of the vacant tables. After a few seconds he heard muffled speaking from the other end of the room, and realised Ducky was finishing his story despite the lack of a receptive audience. It was good to know some things never changed.

He relaxed back onto the cold metal and allowed his eyes to close and a long, relieved breath to escape. Being around Kate after the events of Saturday evening was messing with his concentration. He'd ended up in the office on yet another Sunday, intending to work, but had spent too much of the afternoon and evening trying to convince himself that he'd just gotten carried away with the adrenaline of a new op and going under cover. He had been determined to act as if nothing had happened, but that had proven much more difficult than he'd hoped.

The smell of Kate's coffee had woken him. He'd stolen it on a sudden impulse, flashing her a cheeky smile, unable to resist the chance to flirt before reality intruded and he remembered she was his colleague and subordinate, not his date or girlfriend.

Getting distracted from work... it was never excusable, but when they were undercover, it could get them killed. No matter what had happened, there was no margin for error: he had to get it together.


	15. Signs

**_GIBBS_**

"So, when you go to the tennis club, I need you to place these bugs in the juice bar. They're as small as McGee and I could make them, but if it's busy or if you're talking to someone and can't get rid of them, you may have to be pretty sneaky."

"I think I can probably help with the sneaky, part," said a voice from the doorway.

Abby and Kate both jumped, and Gibbs chuckled.

"Gibbs, I've told you not to do that!" Abby shot him one of her fiercest looks, which made her look like a very cute but very angry kitten, then brightened up when he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"So, you need me to be sneaky?"

Abby cocked her head to one side. "You may actually be too sneaky for this, Gibbs, but maybe you can give Kate lessons?"

He grinned. "Well, there's only so much you can teach, Abs, a lot of it's natural talent..."

That got a laugh out of her, and even Kate cracked a smile.

"I was just showing Kate how to activate the bugs, Gibbs. I'm afraid you're gonna have to place several, since we don't know exactly what's going down and who might be involved. We're still kinda winging it."

"And that's just not like us," he replied drily.

Both women laughed at that, then Abby had Kate activate and deactivate the bugs over and over till she could do it without even looking down.

Used to Abby's perpetual restlessness, it took Gibbs a while to notice that the twitching of her fingers wasn't random.

_Practising being the adoring boyfriend? _she signed, then grinned hugely.

Caught off guard, he actually felt himself blush slightly. No one had managed that since before Shannon died...

_What?_

There was no way in the world that he was going to head Abby off this one, that was obvious, but it wasn't going to stop him from trying to buy a little time. Her smile widened.

_You know how I love a challenge..._

He rolled his eyes, and she let out a low, husky chuckle.

"What?"

Kate had evidently caught a little of their exchange.

"Nothing," they both said in unison. She glanced from one of them to the other and frowned.

"One of these days I'm going to learn sign so you guys can't get away with that, you know," she said with a little pout.

"Just keeping him in practice, Kate," said Abby.

Kate didn't look convinced but didn't push it. "OK... I think I've mastered this, anyway. Or at least as close to mastered as we're going to get. Is there any reason we can't just take them in already activated?"

"It's just a precaution, since we don't know enough about what you're getting into, though McGee pulled up some more information for you."

Abby gestured at the image on the plasma.

"So, as you know, this is the guy we think is our puppetmaster. Money laundering, underage prostitution, you name it. We think he may have links to arms traders, too. But he has the best lawyers in D.C. - everyone wants him, but none of the agencies can take him down unless we have actual, undeniable proof, and that's where you guys come in."

"Last time I agree to do a favour for the director," he muttered, and Abby grinned.

"If he'd told you there'd be lots of inter-agency cooperation, you'd never have agreed to it."

"Well yeah, Abs..."

"So now you're pissed because he knows you too well." _Except you're not all that pissed about being undercover with Kate..._

_Pushing it, Abs..._

Kate glared at them both. "Seriously, guys, will you stop that? I'm beginning to see why Tony gets so annoyed with it."

"Sorry, Kate." The apology slipped out, and he tried to ignore Abby's incredulous look.

_First please, now sorry?_ Her eyebrows had shot up so far they were threatening to completely disappear under her fringe.

Kate crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Well, we're ready for Thursday, then. I'm going to go phone Cassie about clothes and leave you two to gossip with your hands, OK?"

Abby grabbed Kate's shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. "I'll be around to help you get ready again if you like."

Kate's face softened in a smile as she returned the embrace. "Thanks Abs."

Gibbs caught her eye over Abby's shoulder, and they both stilled for a moment, then she pulled away from Abs and walked off to the elevator without another word.

He waited till he heard the door swish closed, and then allowed himself to lean heavily back on to the edge of the desk and rub his hand over his face. Some days he felt too damn old for this job.

"Gibbs?"

Abby actually sounded so worried, he couldn't help but look up at her and smile. From her expression he realised he had just confirmed all her suspicions and a few things she hadn't even thought to suspect, and he shook his head. "No need to look so stricken, Abs. It's been a long week."

He could almost see her deciding whether or not to ask all the questions teeming through her head as various expressions chased across her face. After a few seconds, she simply moved in for a hug, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Abs."

Her voice was muffled in his jacket. "I... it's OK, Gibbs. It'll be OK."

She sounded strangely certain, and he was grateful for her assurance even if he didn't share it.

"I have to go work." She released him with reluctance and he gently grabbed her shoulders for a moment, looking her in the eye with a confidence he didn't really feel. "It _will_ be OK."

**_ABBY_**

Abby stood at her desk for some time after Gibbs left, her mind working through her surprise, her concern, and her... joy. It had taken several minutes to come to that final conclusion, but having come to it, she hugged herself and allowed herself a little squeak of happiness. How this would work out, she couldn't imagine. But it would, she felt certain, somehow.

And she wondered if it would earn her a headslap if Gibbs realised that she was already mentally planning the first NCIS wedding.


	16. Bugs

_**KATE**_

Kate stiffened momentarily when she felt hands slip round her waist.

"Just me, Kate," Gibbs murmured in her ear. "Having problems?"

She allowed herself to lean back into his chest, enjoying his comforting strength and the chance to savour it. She could get used to their having to converse in whispers when it meant so much physical proximity.

"Can't get the stupid bug to activate. According to McGee it's still not transmitting and I don't know what I did wrong." She fiddled once more with the bug she'd attached under the counter, and bit back a swear word.

Taking a long swig of her juice, she looked casually around the juice bar of the swanky tennis club. Fortunately the guy behind the bar was busy with other patrons, and as long as they kept their voices low, no one was likely to hear their incongruous conversation.

"Hmmm. Let me." He slid a hand down her arm and gently moved her fingers off the bug. She resisted pointing out that his record with technology didn't bode well for his chances of fixing it. "You get the others placed?"

She nodded.

"Good girl, Kate." Coming from anyone else, she'd probably be offended by someone calling her a girl, but somehow when he said it, she found she didn't mind. She felt him tense slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"It wasn't you. I think. Damn thing. It should be working. I'm gonna kick Abby's butt..."

Kate giggled. "Yeah, right."

He humphed, then she felt him laugh too.

"Just as well we got a geek listenin' in. McGee, get in contact with Abby and tell her she's in big trouble unless she finds out how to fix this within the next ten minutes. Tell her no more Caf-Pow till this is sorted."

McGee stuttered his acquiescence, and Kate giggled again. "She's going to kick _his_ butt now, you know that?"

"He'll live."

"So what do we do now?"

He shrugged. "Wait. Drink your juice. Get a refill."

"Won't it seem a little strange for us to just be standing here?"

"Stranger than a place called a bar that only sells fruit juice?"

"OK, fair point," she conceded with a smile. "But I'm still concerned about drawing the wrong kind of attention to ourselves."

"I think we can probably take care of that," he said, slipping his arms around her waist again. She could hear the smile in his voice. "Enjoying the company of a beautiful woman is what us playboys are known for, isn't it?"

The words were barely a murmur in her ear, and then he brushed his lips against her neck. For a moment, Kate forgot how to breathe.

"Relax," he whispered.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise, it's-"

"A sign of weakness, I know." She felt his laughter in the rumble of his chest and the huff of air on her skin.

The small part of her brain still capable of rational thought hoped that he didn't realise her response to his caresses required no acting at all on her part. In fact it was all she could do not to overreact. A few simple kisses and his warm solidity behind her should not short circuit a grown, experienced woman's mind, shouldn't make her want to melt into a puddle, but evidently no one had told her knees that.

A glance around the bar that she forced herself to take proved he was right to think it would deflect attention. The only looks being thrown their way were a few wistful smiles and a couple of envious pouts.

If it was working on the people around them, it was certainly working on her. It was oh so tempting to turn her head, to meet his lips with hers. Another guy who had this effect on her, a different situation, it would be so easy to turn around, slip her arms around his neck, press herself into his body... even now, with the knowledge that he was her boss, with McGee at the other end of the line, it was nearly too much to resist.

She was almost – _almost_ – relieved when Gibbs straightened up and wrapped his arms a little more firmly around her waist, resting his cheek against her hair. She allowed her eyes to drift closed, enjoying the intimacy, however contrived and temporary it might be.

He sighed, and something in the sound made her turn her head to nestle more closely into his chest. He sounded... peaceful? Happy? She wasn't sure, except that, whatever it was, it wasn't an emotion she was used to associating with him.

"Boss?"

McGee's voice intruded, shattering the moment. He launched into a long, technical explanation of which neither of them were likely to understand more than one word in five. The release of nervous tension and the comically typical McGeek speak got the better of Kate's self control, and she couldn't entirely stifle her snort of laughter. To her surprise, it set Gibbs off, too, and they stood there for a few moments giggling at each other before he pulled himself together.

"McGee?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"I don't care why it's not working, McGee. Just tell me how to fix it."

"Yes Boss. Sorry, Boss."

"Well?"

"Actually Boss, Abby says there's nothing we can do except bring it back here or come back with a new one another time. Uh. Sorry."

Kate expected him to explode, albeit discreetly, and judging by the strained silence at the other end of the line, so did McGee.

What neither of them could have anticipated was his quiet "All right, McGee. We'll decide about that back at the office."

He looked down at Kate, who tried to hide her amazement.

"So, now to that French restaurant as planned, I guess?" she hazarded.

His mouth quirked up into a crooked grin and there was a definite twinkle in those blue eyes. "Wherever we go, just please tell me it's somewhere that serves alcohol..."


	17. Scuppered

**_KATE_**

"Cancel all weekend plans."

"But Giiiibbs!" wailed Abby, the only person who could get away with voicing her displeasure so loudly. She'd appeared, suitcase in tow, just in time to hear their plans being scuppered.

They'd been on the go all day, to Little Creek and Richfield, and then back to D.C. It didn't take an expert to realise that Gibbs was taking the case personally, that he felt a responsibility to Dobbs and to the Marines who'd vouched for him, but she had still thought they would get their weekend at the spa. Till just now, none of them had realised exactly how invested he was. He didn't even respond to Abby's protest.

"DiNozzo, McGee, with me." Gibbs rarely elaborated, but he sounded more than usually terse as he led the guys out towards the elevator.

Kate crossed the bullpen to her friend. "Abs. We'll do it another time, I promise."

Abby pouted a little and chewed her lip. "I guess. I was just really looking forward to it. It took us so long to get those reservations. Pampering, gossip, facials... Getting out of D.C. for the weekend. Plus I got Gibbs to agree we didn't have cancel it because of your undercover op. All that for nothing..."

"How _did_ you get him to agree to that, by the way?"

Abby grinned, a little of her usual sparkle returning, and lowered her voice. "Don't tell anyone, but I said... _please_."

Kate couldn't help laughing. "It's your superpower, persuading Gibbs."

Abby's grin turned mischievous, and she lowered her voice still further as she leaned towards Kate. "Don't worry, Kate, I promise only to use my powers for good. Like making sure Gibbs makes this up to us. Especially to you..."

She winked, and Kate could feel her treacherous cheeks turning pink.

"Hmmm, Miss Todd, I think your free pass is approaching its expiration date..."

Kate couldn't help laughing at Abby's tone, despite her embarrassment. "Any chance it'll last till we figure out if Dobbs is guilty?"

Abby pursed her lips and screwed up her face, making a show of considering it.

"Please, Abs? I'll buy you dinner?"

Abby giggled and looped her arm through Kate's. "OK, since you asked so nicely. But this is absolutely your last free pass. Remember, I'm a forensic scientist."

Kate didn't quite know how to take that. "Um, so you can kill me without leaving any evidence...?"

Abby looked confused for a moment, then let out a burst of laughter. "No, Kate, don't be silly - I only use that threat on McGee. I will, however, show no mercy using my scientific superpowers if you hold out on me." Her expression turned serious. "You're one of my best friends, Kate. Please don't make me worry about you."

Kate smiled, touched. Sometime she forgot just how much her NCIS family cared for her, and it was nice to be reminded. "I can't argue with that," she replied softly, then nudged Abby's shoulder with her own. "Thanks."

Abby grinned again. "You're welcome. Now... What was this about buying me dinner?"


	18. Richfield

**_GIBBS_**

For what felt like the millionth time, Gibbs asked himself exactly what he had been thinking when he'd chosen Kate to travel back to Richfield with him. In the office, there was always something to do, and at least when they were undercover, being distracted, attentive and tactile were all completely in character. But even with him driving, it was a three hour journey from the Navy Yard, and being in close quarters alone with Kate with no distractions and no excuse to flirt with her had been enjoyably torturous. He had a feeling that her sweet floral scent was going to fill his car for days.

He should be grateful that she'd long since got used to his 'no small talk' rule, but right now he would welcome it as a safe harbour. It was mostly a comfortable silence, but he wished he could figure out how to inject some of the ease and playfulness of their assumed identities into reality without feeling like an idiot teenager.

It had been a relief to finally arrive, though he'd had to look away when Kate stretched out her stiff back. He couldn't help noticing the deep auburn highlights the bright sunshine picked out in her dark hair, something he'd always managed to ignore until recently. The 'but she's not a redhead' line had become an excuse more than a reason to peg her as not his type a long, long time ago, but it was ironic that even that already thin excuse was being proven wrong.

Kate had been the liaison with the local LEOs, and led the way into the police station with a confidence that made him feel a little proud of her, knowing how far she had come. He reminded himself, as he followed her in, that checking out her ass was completely unprofessional, and found himself hoping that Chief Whalen would be an interfering, obstructionist know it all. At least then he wouldn't feel guilty about venting his frustrations on the guy, and maybe it would take his mind off Kate's backside.


	19. Vulnerable

**_KATE_**

Any onlookers would think she was absorbed in the task of dusting for prints, but Kate's mind was elsewhere. It had been a long day, and it seemed surreal that they were investigating the bloody scene of Emmy Poole's suicide when only a few hours before she had been talking to the girl. She'd seen enough death that she should be immune, but somehow this one had got to her. Emmy's belligerence and façade of confidence, failing to disguise a terrible fragility, had reminded her a little too much of herself at that age. She wondered what trauma had been unearthed along with Nora's body, what had finally made Emmy snap when it was all too clear she'd been wrestling with so much pain already in the two years since her friend's death.

It was only one of the mysteries from today that she was turning over in her mind. There were, as Gibbs had pointed out, a lot of pissed off people here in Richfield. Getting on the wrong side of law enforcement officers no longer surprised her, but she'd been taken aback by Bruce Webb's venom. And maybe even more surprised when Gibbs had retreated, and reined her in from asking any more questions.

It was obviously painful for the Webbs to relive their daughter's disappearance - and to discover that she was indeed dead after two years of uncertainty. But given how much Gibbs was already sticking his neck out for the Petty Officer, she had expected him to be merciless. She knew he wasn't generally cruel, though he could be painfully insensitive, but she'd also seen him grill bereaved relatives when he had to. He'd been a fraction off boiling point the entire case anyway, and she'd braced herself for him to explode when the victim's father had been so antagonistic.

Instead, he'd backed off completely, and it made no sense to her. What made even less sense was the haunted expression that had lingered on his face the rest of the day. Vulnerable and Leroy Jethro Gibbs were not words she was used to linking together, but however absurd it seemed, it made her want to wrap herself around him as if to protect him from whatever emotion had made him look so exposed, so... weak.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and forced her mind back to her task. It was already late, she was tired, they were three hours from home, and they still hadn't closed this case or even come close. Trying to figure Gibbs out was no easy task on a regular day. Attempting to do it on an evening where she'd be lucky to be done cataloging evidence, never mind in bed and asleep, before dawn would be more than foolhardy.

Not that she'd voice it out loud, but she was almost grateful for Faith Coleman's deadline. She wanted Gibbs to be right, wanted Dobbs to get the honours his friends in the Corps were so sure he deserved... but she also wanted to get more than three hours sleep sometime in the near future. The desperate rush to clear the man's name would, one way or another, be over come his funeral. If she were honest with herself... she could hardly wait.


	20. Silver Star

_**GIBBS**_

Gibbs all but ignored his team's greetings when he arrived in the office late on Monday. The funeral of a soldier was never easy, and this one was no exception - even though he'd never met Petty Officer Dobbs. At least the man had gotten the honours he deserved, but proving his innocence had also involved discovering that a man had killed his own stepdaughter to cover up his affair with that daughter's best friend.

There was no outlet for this anger - no outlet for the fact he'd wanted to pummel Bruce Webb into a pulp for his part in destroying two young lives. Between anger and fatigue, he'd had to force himself to relax and sit back in his chair during the interrogation so he wouldn't risk giving in to the temptation.

He'd once told Kate that nothing surprised him any more, but that didn't mean he would ever get used to cases like that. Nothing made him more angry than people who knowingly hurt children. He thought back to the man who'd had his own family, his own little girl, kidnapped just for the money, and thumped his desk in frustration.

"You OK, Boss?"

Tony actually sounded worried, and that was enough to get his attention.

"How was the funeral?" That was Kate. "Did Lt Cmdr Coleman make it, too?" He glanced up at her, one eyebrow raised.

He wasn't sure why, but her hackles had been up ever since Faith had appeared the previous afternoon and offered to help. He was tempted to put it down to jealousy, and he'd wanted to tell her that sparring with a lawyer, even one who was as pretty as Faith and actually had a heart despite her profession, didn't hold a candle to flirting with his Katie. But it seemed a little presumptuous to tell her she shouldn't be jealous when for all he knew she was just exhausted.

"He got his Silver Star," he said, with a shrug. That had been the point of the weekend, and beyond that he just wanted to put this depressing case out of his mind. At least the case the director had them working on might actually save some innocents, instead of just convicting the guilty.

He glanced around at the three of them. "Well?" he barked. They looked blank. "You've been here all day. I _assume_ you've been working. What do you got?"


	21. Bombshell

**_TONY_**

Tony wriggled his shoulders around in yet another uncomfortable waiter's uniform, wondering how he'd ended up getting the short end of the stick on this particular undercover op. Sure, he hadn't minded being the senior agent in the office, and while he'd been careful to stick to the letter of the law concerning not making McGee call him boss, he'd flouted the spirit of it with impunity, and he'd certainly enjoyed exercising this little piece of authority. He denied it whenever Abby accused him of turning into Gibbs, but secretly he kinda enjoyed swilling coffee, thwacking heads and demanding answers now and then. Becoming more like Gibbs might not do wonders for his social life, but there were worse things that could happen to a Special Agent.

Being disguised as a waiter, though? That really sucked. Especially when Gibbs got to be the rich playboy, wining and dining Kate, who'd looked progressively more stunning in a succession of spectacular outfits. He'd happily leer at Kate in NCIS overalls or rappelling gear, it wasn't as if she exactly looked bad on a day to day basis, but wrapped in designer silk? Mm-mm-_mm_. He'd seen a whole new side to his partner, and he'd enjoyed it. A lot.

Almost as if he'd conjured her up, Kate appeared round the corner in a dress that made him choke on his coffee. They were spending a few days at the swanky mansion their mark called home, having secured a last minute invite, and he'd expected her to be in something a little more casual than the evening wear she'd been sporting to the balls and parties she and Gibbs had been frequenting, but he'd never thought to see the buttoned up Caitlin Todd in the kind of black spaghetti strap minidress that should surely be borderline illegal.

He'd always suspected she had great legs, even though she always wore such disappointingly modest outfits to work, but the reality was a hundred times better than he'd imagined. He silently blessed Cassie for her excellent taste in clothes, and Abby for her magic powers of persuasion.

"Wrrrowl, Kitty Kat, looking _hawt_!"

Unexpectedly, Kate rewarded him with a smile, even giving him a little-girl twirl to show off her dress, but he had only moments to enjoy it before a hand connected with the back of his head hard enough he felt like there should be cartoon birds circling him and tweeting.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' bark was so forceful and so menacing, his expression so dark, that Tony backed away three steps without even thinking about it. He'd never seen the boss look quite this angry, even when he'd teased Kate about her wet t shirt win, and it was a little like suddenly finding himself face to face with a hungry and extremely pissed off Siberian tiger.

He steeled himself for the inevitable explosion, but then had the satisfaction of seeing his boss catch sight of Kate and lose his power of speech. He swallowed the cheeky grin and off colour comment that would most likely earn him another head slap, but he threw a wink Kate's way and enjoyed the pink that flushed her cheeks even as her smile widened.

Kate's expression was equal parts pleased and embarrassed, with the tiniest splash of smug thrown in. She usually kept her playful side under wraps, but today it was at full throttle. When McGee rounded the corner and stopped dead, his eyes bugging out to practically twice their usual size, the shy smile turned full on triumphant.

Gibbs cleared his throat but his voice definitely sounded a little strained. "Uh, yeah, so Kate, all your... stuff... is sorted?"

Kate nodded, still blushing a little and still grinning a lot. "Yup. Abby packed me a couple of cases, and there are a few evening dresses in garment bags." She giggled. "I have everything I need and probably a few things I _don't_ need..."

It was Gibbs' turn to choke on his coffee, and Tony stifled a snigger. He was pretty jealous that Gibbs was gonna spend three days _and_ nights with Kate, but given her former life as a presidential bodyguard, and Abby's... interesting notions as to what Kate might require... Well, maybe he was safer as a waiter.

"So, I'm going to go and sort out a few things before we head out, I'll be back in 30," Kate announced, and walked off towards the elevator. Well actually, Tony thought, strutted might be a better word, especially given the coquettish glance she threw over her shoulder. Leaving three federal agents drooling had obviously given her a much deserved confidence boost. The fact they all stood there gawping like idiots till the doors swooshed closed on her laughter probably didn't hurt, either. Once she'd disappeared and he was able to actually notice his surroundings, he realised it was by no means only their team who'd had their heads turned.

"Looks like being an interesting few days, Boss," he said with a grin, then flinched as Gibbs glared at him, ducking away from the expected headslap.

Gibbs just glowered, and Tony decided that rediscovering his professional side would be a good survival trait at this point.

"We have surveillance set up just in case anything goes, you know, _hinky_, there are bugs for you guys to place, and we'll be recording all your conversations just in case one of the guests mentions anything they shouldn't." He smiled as winningly as he knew how.

Gibbs nodded curtly, and turned to McGee, who'd apparently taken a little longer to recover from the sight of Kate's legs.

He had to repeat Tim's name twice before he got a response, and then McGee fell over himself explaining and apologising.

Eventually he cut the probie off, grabbed his sidearm from his desk, and growled "Just do your damn jobs."

"Yes Boss."

"Absolutely, Boss."

"We won't let you down."

"I know you won't, 'cause if you do, I'll shoot you."

McGee looked genuinely scared, and Tony laughed, only to be jolted back into silence seconds later when Gibbs clapped him round the back of the head once more.

"It's no fun if you see it coming," he said with a grin as he strode away.


	22. Abby's Blessing

**_GIBBS_**

It was never a good sign to find Abby in her lab grumbling to herself, but when he'd spectacularly ruined her weekend plans, he figured it was wise to be more than usually cautious. He was armed with a fresh Caf Pow that he'd grabbed while stashing his bags in the flashy car that had been commandeered for their outing, but knowing how much she'd been looking forward to getting out of D.C., he still wasn't certain of his reception.

He'd come down the stairs so she wouldn't hear the elevator arriving, and his sneakiness was well rewarded when he actually managed to make her jump.

"Gibbs! Don't do that to me!"

He presented her with the Caf Pow and a smile. She snatched the drink from him.

"Still in a mood with me, Abs?"

She cocked her head to one side as she took a long slurp. "That depends."

"On what?"

"Do I get to book another spa weekend with Kate? Unless you were planning on taking her yourself, of course..."

He quirked an eyebrow, but otherwise ignored her insinuation. "Close this case and we'll talk."

She pouted. "Men. Always wanting more."

He swivelled her round in her chair so she was facing the computer. "The case, Abs."

"OK, this is our golden opportunity. Bug the dirtbag's place and we get the intel the Bureau needs to take him down. Of course, spending time with a certain Special Agent Todd is a happy side effect."

He couldn't entirely control the grin as she glanced over her shoulder at him, and her husky laugh confirmed she'd seen it.

"The _case_."

"Spoilsport."

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"

"OK. You guys deploy bugs in all the public areas of the house, obviously. The hard part is gonna be getting them into places like his study. You're gonna have to figure that out once you're in there - think on your feet, if you can still manage that at your age..."

"Treading on thin ice, Abs."

She chuckled again. "OK, OK. Well me and McGee'll be at the end of the phone lines, and Tony's got another serving gig with the caterers they've hired. So if the old grey matter gives out, you have backup."

"You know how I slap Tony when he's causing trouble?"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well anyway, Kate'll be down in a minute to get her bags, and I take it that très très chic suit isn't one of yours?"

"You guessed right."

"I'm shocked."

"Abs..."

The sound of the elevator doors opening gave them a few seconds warning before Kate walked into the room, and Gibbs managed to restrain himself from gawping this time, although with the muted, atmospheric lighting in Abby's lab it was possible she looked even better than she had in the unflattering fluorescents upstairs.

He couldn't take his eyes off her, though, despite being uncomfortably aware that both women had noticed him staring. She and Abby busied themselves with last minute decisions, and he wordlessly picked up the bags once they'd finished.

"So, shall we?" He couldn't help noticing that Kate seemed particularly confident today. He supposed that an office full of agents practically struck dumb as she walked through it would do that.

"Uh-huh," he agreed, not trusting his voice for anything else.

"Good hunting, guys. And have a good time, of course." Abby grinned widely, and Gibbs shot her a warning look over his shoulder as they left.

_Behave_, she signed, with a wink._ But have fun, too._

He grinned, taking that as her blessing, and followed Kate back out to the elevator.


	23. Getting Used To It

**_KATE_**

_I really need to get better at reading men_, Kate thought, not for the first time. Walking back through the bullpen to the other elevator felt like a chance to breathe, but she had no idea if the tension rippling in the air as they'd come up from Abby's lab was mutual, or just her own feelings and nerves playing tricks on her.

She felt a little exposed in the tiny dress, though she'd managed to summon up a kind of bravado to go with it... and although she never would have chosen it for herself, and she'd probably never admit it to a soul, it did put a swing in her hips to feel so sexy.

She'd spent the majority of her career doing well, getting promoted, and being trusted and respected _despite_ being female. Her femininity could be a useful tool, but a lot of the time it just felt like a weakness, or at least a disadvantage. It felt kinda nice to hang up her jock strap, to not have to be one of the boys - to remember that she did, after all, _enjoy_ being a woman.

Of course, that didn't help her figure out whether this chemistry was as one sided as she feared.

The elevator down to the exit arrived, Gibbs' warm hand in the small of her back brought her out of her reverie, and they were stuck in a tiny box again. It was only a few floors, a few seconds, really, but it always felt longer somehow when she was alone in there with Gibbs. Today even more so, especially when she glanced sideways and he watching her - _again_.

She wished she was brazen enough to flip the emergency stop, pin him up against the wall, and kiss that indecipherable expression off his face. Though... it was probably just as well. She figured the conversation that would ensue if she did was not one they wanted to be having moments before they were out in the field and undercover.

Finally they were down and out into the sunshine of a rare dry spring day. It was chillier than she'd imagined, and she was grateful the car was waiting right outside. Even so, she shivered a little. Moments later, she felt Gibbs move up behind her, and then his suit jacket, still warm from his body heat, was being draped around her and smoothed round her shoulders and he was handing her into the car like a perfect gentleman before stowing her cases in the trunk.

As Gibbs navigated the snarl of D.C. traffic, Kate forced herself to breathe slow and deep, calming the butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure if they were for the mission or for his proximity, but she was sure they wouldn't help.

It was almost a relief, though, to have the excuse to slip back into the easy intimacy that came from spending significant amounts of time pretending to be lovers. Perversely, she felt more comfortable with this arrangement than she had heading out to Little Creek. It was relaxing to know that she didn't have to worry about him seeing how attracted to him she was, freeing not to have to second guess herself before she spoke or invaded his space.

The journey out through the suburbs and into the relative greenness of Maryland was just long enough to let her nerves settle, and she was grateful for the companiable silence. There were times when Gibbs' inability to fill in time with small talk was absolutely infuriating, but it could also be kind of peaceful, unlike travelling with her other teammates. McGee tended to fill in any and every awkward silence, often with technical details she didn't begin to understand, and DiNozzo was... well, he was DiNozzo, and the odds were pretty even whether he'd drive her nuts with film trivia or misogyny on any given day. A quiet journey, with Gibbs uncharacteristically humming a tune under his breath, was a much better start.

When they arrived at the house, she gasped. It was large enough that she felt she'd be able to use 'being lost' as a reasonable excuse if she was discovered somewhere she wasn't supposed to be while bugging the place. She sat in the car for a few moments, admiring it.

"Remember, Kate," Gibbs murmured, as he came round to open her door, "you're used to places like this."

Kate snapped her mouth closed, realising she'd been gawking like a tourist. Gibbs chuckled, and she grinned reluctantly.

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting used to it," she admitted quietly.

He helped her out of the car and tucked her arm into his as staff from the house rushed out to help with their bags; and as he smiled down at her, she couldn't help thinking that the house, beautiful as it was, wasn't the thing she truly wanted to get used to.


	24. Lost

**_GIBBS_**

Gibbs tried to resist the temptation to check his watch every few minutes, reminding himself that Kate was a well trained, experienced agent who could take care of herself. It wasn't as reassuring as it should be.

She'd insisted that she should do the initial recon, that a woman who was wandering around where she wasn't supposed to be would rouse more empathy and less suspicion than a man. She was probably right, but it didn't stop him getting antsy.

He'd taken the comms silence as concentration and discretion, but when the silence had gone on, and he'd had McGee and DiNozzo in his ear trying and failing to make contact with her, he'd rapidly gotten concerned. She'd probably make some comment about his chauvinism - that he wouldn't worry so much if she was a man - and maybe she'd be right. But he had to qualify it, if only to himself; a lot of it wasn't gender specific so much as _Katie_ specific.

When twenty minutes stretched to half an hour, he allowed himself to drift away from the conversation in which he'd been barely more than a bored bystander anyway. Feigning a casual air he didn't remotely feel, he eventually found a quiet and deserted spot by a table full of snacks (Kate had glared at him and hissed "canapés" when he'd called them that, but he didn't see the difference) to inform the team in hushed tones that he was going to go find her. Neither of the young agents questioned his decision, and he wasn't sure if it was simple deference or if they were as worried as he was.

He meandered over to a large canvas on the wall, pretending to admire it, then slipped away toward the East wing.

**_KATE_**

The staff were more diligent and less gullible than she'd imagined. She was grateful that English was obviously not their native language as she stalled for time by pretending not to understand them.

Theoretically she should be able to alert the others, but she'd had no response over her earpiece, and she was starting to wish she'd decided to turn back when she realised they'd somehow lost communication. She couldn't remember the exact number, but she was pretty sure that she was breaking one of Gibbs' rules.

What was more annoying was that in the back of her mind she was still trying to pin it down - _Rule 3? Was it rule 3? Somewhere in the first dozen, definitely_... - as if remembering that was what mattered right now.

The busy weekend had left her more tired than she'd realised, punchy and rattled and making bad choices, a fact that was now painfully obvious as she tried to talk herself out of the hole.

Their attention shifted over her shoulder as footsteps approached, and for a second her heart fell till a familiar voice drawled a greeting.

"There you are, sweet pea, I lost you."

Kate had never been so relieved to hear Gibbs' voice, and she had no need to fake the wide smile she gave him as she span round.

"Hey, baby!"

He strode up to her and drew her into his arms, then whispered in her ear, "You OK?"

She nodded. "They're suspicious. Help?"

She felt him smile. "You got it." He pulled her closer and faked (or at least she assumed they were fake) a few contented little sighs and groans as he held her and buried his face in her hair. She relaxed in his arms, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the staff members disappear down the corridor. They were no doubt searching for reinforcements, but at least it gave them a moment to regroup.

"Gibbs, we have to come up with some reason I was back here... I don't think they're very happy with me." Her voice was shaky, and not just because Gibbs' hands were still stroking lazy circles on her back, though he'd straightened up to look at her as they talked.

"I'll think of something."

"It'll have to be convincing... And fast. They're not going to leave us alone for long."

He thought for a moment, then appeared to make a decision. "Do you trust me, Kate?" His voice was low, his gaze sincere.

"Ye-yes. Of course." He bent his head towards her, invading her personal space, searching her face as if to check the sincerity of her answer. She wondered why he was asking this just now, but couldn't find enough air for the question.

"Good." He nodded. "I can get us out of this. Just relax, and trust me."

His last sentence was barely a murmur, and then he gently, almost tentatively, pressed his mouth against the soft skin below her ear.

Her breath hitched as he continued to caress her neck with his lips, then his teeth, and a shudder of need rippled down her spine. There was a tiny part of her brain that knew this was part of the cover, that he was playing up to the playboy image they had established for him, that this was a show for the staff who could reappear any second. But with his mouth on her throat and his low, amused chuckle in her ears, it was impossible not to buy into the fantasy.

His lips grazed her jaw, then he gently nipped her ear before drawing back just far enough to look her in the eye. His eyes were intense and dark, and she allowed herself to imagine she was having the same effect on him as he was on her. He tucked a curl behind her ear, stroked her cheek, ran a thumb over her bottom lip.

"OK?" he asked. She nodded, and one of those trademark Gibbs half-smiles melted across his face. Beyond the haze of desire, she could hear the returning voices and footsteps getting closer. And then his mouth covered hers and she was lost.


	25. Found

**_GIBBS_**

He'd swear, under oath, that it was meant to be cover, with no ulterior motive - that acting like a lothario who couldn't keep his hands off his girl for a whole evening seemed easier and more effective than trying to talk their way out of a tight spot. But once he was kissing her... Without a conscious thought, he tilted his head, wanting more, savouring the sweetness of her mouth and the softness of her lips. An effort of will kept his hands from straying lower, though he couldn't resist caressing the smooth skin of her shoulders and back, and running his fingers over her silky hair.

He wanted to sink into the moment, stay there forever...

A warning note, a reminder, sounded in his head - _this isn't real, this is play acting_ - and he forced himself to pull away a fraction, take a breath, trying to tone down his response instead of kissing her like a desperate teenager. Giving her the chance to slow him down, to stay in her comfort zone. Subterfuge wasn't any excuse to push this too far.

It lasted exactly long enough for him to look her in the eye, and then it was Kate who took charge, slid a hand around his neck, tugging insistently till she was close enough to graze his bottom lip with her teeth. He groaned, the last vestiges of self control draining away as she pulled him closer still to kiss him even more thoroughly than he had kissed her.

One hand drifted to the small of her back, the other cupped her cheek as the kiss deepened. He felt her slip her hands inside his jacket, tentatively at first then with more assurance, till his whole world shrank down to an awareness of Caitlin Todd pressed against his body, her scent, her addictive mouth, the little sighs and moans that escaped her.

He'd forgotten to notice, never mind care, if the staff of the place were buying the ruse, and it wasn't until his subconscious had registered several coughs that the quiet "ahem" intruded into his conscious thoughts.

He broke the kiss, slowly and reluctantly, unable to resist dipping his head for one last taste before turning to the source of the interruption.

Unfortunately, it wasn't one of the staff or even one of the guests, but DiNozzo, who looked as though he wasn't sure whether to be amused, confused, or just plain horrified to see his boss and his partner locked in a steamy embrace, especially in an empty corridor where there was no apparent reason for it.

"Uh, boss? I didn't wanna interrupt, but McGee wasn't getting any audio at all, so he sent me to, uh, check everything was OK..." He shrugged in a vaguely apologetic manner, and Gibbs realised that, more than anything, he was completely embarrassed. It was an unusual and unfamiliar emotion on Tony: Gibbs couldn't recall the last time he'd seen it.

He didn't quite trust his voice, and was relieved when Kate took the initiative. "They, they seemed, you know, suspicious, so we, um, kind of tried to make it look like we just wanted some... privacy." She was blushing furiously as she spoke, whether from her passionate response to his kiss or from being discovered by her coworker he wasn't sure, but it didn't stop her glaring at Tony with a look that promised swift, harsh retribution if he made a big deal out of it. "Apparently the staff don't like guests to wander round unaccompanied..."

Tony looked less than convinced.

"So... when did they leave?"

There was a pause. Kate and Gibbs looked at each other, then back at Tony, before Gibbs responded with a degree of honesty he regretted the moment the words left his mouth.

"I have no idea..."

Tony's eyebrows shot up, and Gibbs could almost see the inappropriate comments lining up on his tongue. He added his glare to Kate's.

DiNozzo glanced between the two of them, clearly weighing up the pleasure of sarcasm against the very real possibility of physical harm from a former Marine and a former Secret Service agent. Evidently he decided it wasn't worth the risk. "Oooookay," he said, just the smallest shake of his head indicating his scepticism about their explanation. "I'll go and, uh, tell McGee you're OK, and let you get back to... _working_."

Gibbs would've been tempted to teach DiNozzo a lesson for his unsubtle dig if he wasn't so relieved to see the back of his altogether too damn nosy field agent. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned back to the woman he still hadn't released from his embrace.

For a moment it was awkward, as they stood there, still wound around each other, but suddenly aware that he was her boss, and she was his subordinate. But as relief kicked in, Kate started to laugh, and after a second he joined in. She clung to him as if she was barely able to stand, and he manoeuvred them round to lean on the wall before the ebbing adrenaline made her fall. He wasn't sorry for the excuse not to let go.

"Well. I don't know about the staff here, but we sure as hell convinced DiNozzo..."

Kate rewarded him with another laugh and a wider smile than he'd seen from her in months. He couldn't help returning it, and then his breath caught as she reached up to trace his lips with a featherlight touch.

"You have a lovely smile, Gibbs," she murmured. For the second time in as many weeks he could feel the colour rising in his cheeks at the unexpected compliment.

"You don't need to sound so surprised, Kate."

"I didn't mean it like that."

She seemed genuinely abashed, her smile disappearing and her gaze dropping to the floor. He wanted to kick himself for spoiling the moment. Gently, he used two fingers under her chin to tilt her head back up so he could catch her eye once more.

"I was teasing, Kate. Th-thank you."

He wished his thanks hadn't come out with a stutter, but the look on her face was enough to make him stumble over his words. Those chocolate brown eyes had turned nearly black, and the knowledge that he'd been the one to do that to her, the man who'd put that expression of naked desire on her face... He took a shaky breath and tried to get back a little control.

"So... so, you OK?"

**_KATE_**

Kate was still trying to pull herself together from the kiss that had wiped out every thought in her brain besides the fact that she wanted to do it again, as soon as possible, as often as possible and for as long as possible.

"I, uh, I'm... good. Ah... I suppose we better get back to the, uh... thing," she managed to say, gesturing vaguely, hoping she didn't sound quite as wobbly as she felt.

Gibbs looked at her - really looked, as if he could see down into her soul - then bent to claim her lips again as if it were the most normal thing in the world for him to kiss his coworkers for no reason whatsoever. Before she even had a chance to process her surprise, he had taken her arm and was leading her back to the party.

Even if she'd wanted to resist, she couldn't have. She glanced at him, and wondered if it was her imagination that a satisfied smile was dancing round the corner of his mouth. She'd always figured he'd probably be a good kisser, when she'd allowed herself to think about it - after all, he'd convinced three women to marry him despite being a self confessed bastard, there must be some reason - but to call that a good kiss was like calling champagne a nice drink. She wasn't certain she'd ever recover.

And tonight they were sharing a bed. And tomorrow night. And the night after. She swallowed hard. Never, not once, had she been so grateful that someone else was doing the heavy lifting on a case. She was pretty sure that at this moment, she couldn't analyse a coffee order, never mind seek out salient details in a mass of recorded conversations. Adoring girlfriend was about all she could manage tonight. And even that was only possible because it was exactly how she was feeling right now about the man walking next to her.


	26. Conspiracy

**_MCGEE_**

"Everything OK?"

He didn't expect much from Tony beyond a simple yeah, or possibly another diatribe on how the uniform was making his butt itch, but silence? That _was_ unexpected.

"Tony?"

There was still no response, and he swivelled round in his chair, alarmed.

Tony looked pained, like he'd witnessed something awful. He shook his head, not making eye contact, and finally spoke.

"Probie... There are just some things a man should never have to see."

McGee tried not to give in to the sudden burst of panic. "What happened, Tony? Kate and Gibbs - are they OK?" His imagination went into overdrive.

"Oh yeah. They're OK. They're _more_ than OK. Gibbs is one lucky S.O.B. I knew it should've been me undercover..."

Tim allowed himself to relax with a sigh of relief. Tony's bellyaching was wearying, but bearable.

"I'm just glad they're OK."

"You don't get it, do you? Gibbs gets to lock lips with Kate, and I'm serving them food. Or else I'm stuck out here. In the cold. In a van. With _you_."

Tim took a second to process what Tony was babbling about. "They were kissing?"

"Huh, no, they were _making out_, like a couple of horny teenagers. With sound effects! Ugh. It was... disturbing."

"Well, they are supposed to be a couple, Tony."

"Yes, McGenius, thanks for clearing that up - as Senior Field Agent, I hadn't quite caught on to that part of the plan."

McGee decided tonight was a good night _not_ to rise to Tony's bait, and swallowed a sarcastic retort. "So... why are you so surprised?"

Tony flopped heavily into the chair and grabbed his mug of now lukewarm coffee. "Because preserving your cover makes more sense when there's someone around to see you preserving it."

There was a moment of silence. "What?"

Tony raised his eye heavenward. "They're behaving like a couple to fool the staff and guests, right?"

Tim nodded.

"Well then, riddle me this, McSmartypants, why were they gettin' busy when there was no one around to see?"

"Oh."

"Yeah right, _oh_. Exactly. Kate tried to feed me some bull about how there had been someone there, blah blah blah, but I don't buy it. Maybe she's... trying to curry favour with the boss or something..."

The whole scenario seemed unlikely, and he wondered if Tony was winding him up. Even by DiNozzo tall story standards, though, this would be a pretty strange thing to fabricate. "Doesn't sound much like Kate, Tony."

Tony's expression softened a little. "No... No, I guess it doesn't. Still doesn't make sense, though."

"What doesn't make sense?"

McGee stifled a laugh as Tony jumped up with a very unmanly shriek, startled by Abby's sudden appearance on the screen.

"Sorry, Tony, didn't mean to scare you. I know videoconferencing is new to you." She smiled sweetly in response to Tony's embarrassed glare.

"I got cold coffee on my pants." He started rummaging around the van for a cloth, muttering under his breath.

"Oops." She didn't sound remotely contrite. "So, what's new, guys?"

Tim decided to ignore his teammate's grumbling. "Not a lot. Apparently there's something messing with the earwigs and mics, they're still not working right, but besides that it's been pretty smooth, I think."

"Smoother for some than others," Tony piped up, leaning in over Tim's shoulder. "While we're freezing our butts off, Kate and Gibbs are enjoying each other's company in inappropriate ways."

Tim shoved him aside. "Shut up, DiNozzo."

"I'm all ears," said Abby. "What's going on?"

"Abs, you know how Gibbs feels about scuttlebutt..."

"Aww, c'mon McGee, I've only got Major Mass Spec and the guys for company. I'm booooored."

Tim sighed. There was no doubt this would come back to bite him in the ass somehow, especially as he still wasn't completely certain whether Tony was just pulling his leg, but it was never easy to say no to Abby. "Apparently, Tony caught them kissing in a deserted corridor."

A wicked grin appeared on her face. "Oh, really?" she said, her voice dripping with humour.

Tony whipped round and glared at her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How come you don't sound surprised?"

She put her head to one side, looking thoughtful. "See, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

The two men exchanged a look, then Tony spoke for them both:

"What?"

Abby just leaned back in her chair, looking smug.

"They wouldn't..." Tim stuttered. "I mean Kate, wouldn't...? Would she? I mean, he's our boss. They couldn't..."

Tony shrugged expressively. "Looked pretty real to me. But... he's so... _old_. I dunno, I can't explain it."

"Can't explain what?" asked Abby.

"Well, Kate's gorgeous, but..." Tony clearly didn't want to put it into words.

"Why would she be attracted to _him_?" Tim supplied.

"Oh, that's no mystery. Gibbs is a silver fox, Timmy, I told you that before. A lot of women are attracted to older men."

Tony looked a little like he wanted to vomit.

"You really think...?"

Abby grinned again and span in a circle a few times. Tim wished she'd get rid of that chair - he felt travel sick just watching. Her husky laughter dopplered over the line as she went round and round. "Man, you guys are so easy to jerk around."

"Huh?"

"Anyway, I gotta go see Ducky. Speak later!"

The screen abruptly went blank, leaving the two agents staring at it, then each other.

"You think she was kidding, McBoyfriend?"

"I'm not her boyfriend, Tony. And with Abby, you never know."

"Well if I was the boss-"

"_Fortunately for all of us, DiNozzo, you're not_," came a strident voice over the wire as it crackled back to life. "_It seems like that part of the house is shielded somehow, but now we're back online. Sitrep."_

"Yes, Boss," they replied in unison. They exchanged another look, one Tim felt pretty certain meant 'let's not give Kate or Gibbs a reason to kill us,' and quickly got back to work.

**_ABBY_**

"Hey, Duckman!"

Abby hadn't really needed to come down to Autopsy, but since her machines were busy analysing, she'd decided a change of scene wouldn't be such a bad thing. She hoped the guys had bought the 'I'm jerking your chain' explanation - her excitement had gotten the better of her for a moment, and she wanted to kick herself for gossiping, even if it hadn't been on purpose.

At least she knew that if she accidentally tipped Ducky off, she could absolutely rely on his discretion.

"Abigail. You seem very chirpy this evening?"

She skipped over to his desk and threw her arms around his neck, making him chuckle.

"I am, Ducky, I really am." She gave him a last squeeze, then propped her hip against his desk. "I just talked to Tim and Tony."

He looked up at her, his head cocked to one side.

"I suppose there's some good news from the field you'd like to share?"

"Uh, no. Nothing major. I'm just happy."

Ducky nodded, looking amused. "I'm sure Timothy would be pleased to know that chatting with him could put such a smile on your face."

"Tim? Oh, yeah..." Finding herself at a loss for words was unfamiliar, and she cast around for a distraction. "So, you're... sorting out requisitions. Can I help?"

Ducky raised an eyebrow. He knew how much she loathed paperwork, and she realised that, as redirects went, it was pretty much a total failure. He looked at her intently, waiting for her to crack. She looked away.

"It's not like you to keep happy news to yourself, Abby," he observed. "If I was a suspicious man, like Gibbs, I'd say you were keeping secrets. Of course, if I were Gibbs, I'd probably already have extracted all your secrets by this point in the conversation."

She stayed silent, keeping her gaze locked on her hands.

"Abby?"

"It's nothing, Ducky. That is... I don't have any news. Well not news that's mine. I mean, sometimes you have news it's OK to share, and other times it may not seem like news unless you know what's happening behind the news, and then sometimes it's news you'd reeeeally like to share, but it's not really _your_ news, and you don't really know what it means exactly, and you can't ask the people whose news it is what it means because they're busy, and it isn't really fair to speculate, so you can't really tell anyone-"

"Abby?"

"Yes?"

"Has something... _happened_... between Caitlin and Jethro?"

For once, she was stunned into silence, her jaw dropping open as she raised her eyes to his.

Ducky chuckled. "I wondered if being undercover would challenge their restraint."

"How? I mean, what? I mean - You knew? You _knew_?"

"You didn't?" he asked, with a wicked little grin of his own.

She couldn't help grinning back. "I did, I just had no idea that _you_ did." She shook her head. It was nice to have a co-conspirator, but- "-I really thought I was the only one who'd picked up on it. I can't believe I didn't realise. How long have you known?"

Ducky's eyes twinkled. "Since before they did, my dear. I've been expecting this since Air Force One."

"Oh, _really_."

Her tone this time was pure satisfaction.


	27. Self Control

**_GIBBS_**

His nose was buried in silky hair that smelled faintly of jasmine, and a warm, pliant body was snug against his chest and wrapped in his arms. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breath, steady and hypnotic, under his hands, and soft fingers were interlaced with his calloused ones.

_Mmmm_. He really didn't want to wake up. Reality could never be this good.

It was only when she twisted sleepily in his arms and he somehow got an elbow in the groin that he was convinced it was no fantasy and his eyes popped open. He might be tough on himself, but he didn't think his psyche was cruel enough to insert testicular trauma into such a great dream.

Of course, the other explanation was that he and Kate had somehow got enmeshed in the night, despite having fallen asleep on opposite sides of the enormous bed. Till reality had intruded, he was fairly sure he'd been semi consciously grinding himself into her backside in a way the sexual harassment folks would consider red light behaviour. Given she was a former Secret Service agent who routinely slept with a gun under her pillow or in her nightstand, an imaginary elbow to the nuts might be a safer option than this particular version of reality.

"Katie?" He figured it was safest to try and wake her and disentangle her so he could have a shower (preferably an extremely cold one) and get his head on straight before they started their day.

"Heeeeeyy, Gibbs," she murmured, obviously still at least three quarters asleep. The eye makeup she'd been too tired to remove was a sexy smudge around her half closed eyes. Her hair was a mass of smooth brown waves framing her face, and her voice was low and husky with sleep.

It was all he could do not to lean down and kiss her: if he could only think of an excuse, he would indulge the impulse. The fact she was awake enough know who he was and yet still seemed perfectly happy in his embrace...

In short, she wasn't helping the constricted feeling in his underwear, especially when she gave a contented sigh and nuzzled into his neck. It was tempting to lie back and enjoy, but he wasn't sure how much of it he could take.

"Kate, sweetheart." Crap. Where did _that_ come from?

He was incredibly glad she'd brought her own pyjamas, instead of wearing the silky, and incredibly brief, nightwear Cassie had offered her. He'd about had a heart attack when he saw one of the possibilities that had been strewn over the lab table, and he suspected Abby had sneaked a few of them into Kate's bags.

The thought of sharing a bed with her if she was wearing a tiny lace and satin nightie... Well, he figured he could do that without losing his mind, or he could keep up their cover and not get shot, but there was no way in hell he'd be able to do both without messing up. She was adorable enough half asleep in faded flannel. Finding places to touch her, shake her, wake her that didn't seem dangerous to his self control was proving difficult enough as it was.

He'd never been more grateful for her innate modesty, though he was painfully aware that one traitorous hand had somehow sneaked under a hem without his permission. It was all he could do to resist the temptation to trace circles on the smooth skin of her back.

"Mmmm..." She was snuggled in so tight he felt the sound as much as heard it.

_Oh, God._

"Kate," he tried again, raising his voice, and gently shook her shoulder a little.

She moaned softly again, and stretched, in the process pressing her body even closer to his. Clearly, being subtle was not working.

"Kate!"

"Hmmm?"

"_Kate. _Will. You. Just. Wake. Up."

"Wha? Wassup? Wassamada?"

The return to semi coherency was encouraging, and he gently unwrapped her arm from round his waist as she stirred. He was reluctant to move, to unwind their limbs from one another, but for the sake of his sanity and their professional relationship there didn't seem to be another viable option. As she woke he rolled himself away from her before she saw, or more embarrassingly felt, the effect she'd had on him.

Her eyes fluttered a few times and then she dragged them open, looking a little bleary eyed as she tried to focus on him.

"I had... the most amazing," she paused while a huge yawn overtook her, "dre- Hey!" Her forehead creased. "Gibbs! What're you doing in my bed?"

Her utter confusion was enough, if not to break the tension, at least bend it a little, and he laughed. "Not your bed, Kate." She didn't look reassured, and he hastily added, "Not my bed either. We're undercover. Remember?"

She closed her eyes and screwed up her face, as if trying to fire up her brain by sheer willpower. "I- I think I'm... Hungover?" she hazarded.

"Nope. Just not quite awake. Have some water. I'll, ah, go in the shower while you get your bearings."

She nodded, though she still didn't look at all convinced, and Gibbs beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom, his change of clothes bundled strategically in front of his crotch. He banged the door closed behind him then allowed himself to fall against it, and have a little moan of his own.

Less than twenty four hours in, and already being around her fulltime was making him crazy. He shook his head. How he was going to get through this without losing the plot was anybody's guess. One thing was for certain: pretending to be Caitlin Todd's lover 24/7 was proving to be an even bigger challenge than he could've imagined.


	28. Only Human

**_KATE_**

The sound of the bathroom door slamming shut made Kate jump, and brought her a little closer to wakefulness. She still didn't quite feel all there. Her dreams had been intense and absorbing, and although she didn't remember the details she knew they'd been... specific. She grinned to herself. That was _definitely_ the word.

Reality continued to sneak in, she put together the pieces, then suddenly her eyes sprang open and she went from bug eyed and half asleep to sitting up wide awake in a matter of moments.

She'd dreamt about Gibbs, the kind of dreams that made her wake up smiling and blushing. And then found herself half awake in his arms. And then very nearly told him she'd been dreaming about him. The near miss made her cringe.

Though she had to admit, it had been a wonderful way to wake up. He could be a bear at work before his morning dose of caffeine, and she'd always imagined he'd be the kind of man who'd be up and reaching for the coffee pot the second he was conscious. And while she was sure he didn't lack for women to share his bed when he wanted, she would have bet good money that a lazy morning cuddle wasn't part of the deal.

It wasn't a feeling she'd forget in a hurry. She let herself fall back against the headboard and close her eyes, reliving the sensation. Even through her terribly sensible flannel pyjamas, and the t-shirt she'd been half relieved and half disappointed Gibbs had worn to bed, even in her confusion, she'd registered the firmness of muscle, the power in his arms however gently they'd held her, the strong legs tangled in hers, the broad plane of his back under her splayed fingers. Even with her Secret Service training, she realised, it would be a challenge to best him in a fight. And yet, that didn't make her feel threatened. Not even a little. It made her feel safe.

_That should piss me off more_, she thought. After all, she reasoned, a woman who puts bad guys away for a living shouldn't need a man to make her feel safe. Damnit, she _didn't_ need a man to make her feel safe. But... it was nice, she had to admit.

A career of growing her own _cojones_ had made her self reliant to a fault, and while she'd worked closely with her colleagues in the Service, when it came to being a tightly knit team, NCIS was on a whole different level. Or at least, _his_ team was. She knew Gibbs would be there for, and lay his life down for, any one of them, regardless of gender. He'd do it for her, and it wouldn't be because she was a woman. She had been used to being the one who might have to step in front of a bullet. Knowing she was surrounded by people who'd do the same for her without a moment's hesitation was still a novel sensation. A good sensation.

She'd do it for them too, of course. It wasn't even a question. And for Gibbs? Heck, for Gibbs she'd _leap_ in front of that bullet if necessary. But she still wasn't used to others having the same consideration for her safety. Alien as it seemed, maybe feeling she could rely on someone else like that was a good thing, after all.

"And maybe you shouldn't beat yourself up for being human, Kate," she told herself with a little grin.

She giggled, surprising herself with the girliness of the sound, as her thoughts strayed to shallower issues. Of course, there was no denying that whatever misgivings she might have on a philosophical level, waking up in the arms of the man she'd spent the last two years failing not to fall in love with... that kinda made her not care about whether it was properly feminist to enjoy it so much. Her sister would tell her to switch off the damn profiler, and maybe she'd be right,

A shiver of delight ran through her as she let herself forget about what it all meant and just remembered his warmth and solidity pressed against her, the faint smell of coffee and sawdust and man that was so vividly and uniquely Gibbs. Abby had told her once that he'd joked with her about smelling of sawdust not cologne, and its lack of affect on women. Kate suspected he had no idea just how manly and how wildly attractive that scent could be.

"Penny for 'em?"

For the second time since she'd woken up, her eyes popped over in surprise. She's been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the shower had stopped, or heard the bathroom door open.

"What?"

"Penny for your thoughts... Kate." He always said her name with such emphasis. She had never been able to figure out why, but she definitely liked it. "You looked like you were thinking about somethin' good. Gonna share?"

She could feel the colour rushing to her cheeks. He would have to ask her that when she'd just been mooning about him. Damn this man for his ability to make her blush on cue. "N-nothing. I... I wasn't thinking about anything," she managed to blurt out.

He gave her a sceptical look which said he didn't buy it for a second, but didn't probe further. She couldn't figure out the reason for the reprieve, but wasn't about to question it, especially since the best answer she could manage was likely "I was just thinking about how sexy you smell."

He looked good, too, she realised. The informal polo shirt and slacks didn't hide the impressive physique she'd so recently experienced at close quarters. His skin was still a little damp from the shower, his feet bare, and his hair in a mad, towel dried mess that was as far from his usual 'high and tight' look as she could ever recall seeing. He looked casual and comfortable, at home and at ease. _Yum_, her mind supplied, unhelpfully. Even the crazy hairstyle just prompted highly inappropriate thoughts of how exactly how she'd go about messing it up some more.

She couldn't disguise that she was checking him out, and the way his mouth twitched, it seemed like he'd noticed it and was highly amused. _Bastard_. Unfortunately, even bastard was attractive on him.

"I... gotta go shower."

He made no comment, just raised his eyebrows, and watched her as she bolted for the bathroom. Once safely locked in, she allowed her head to drop into her hands.

"I must not drool over Gibbs, I must not drool over Gibbs," she muttered. Maybe if she said it often enough she might start to act on it, she thought, and it became her mantra for the length of her shower.


	29. Rule 8

**_KATE_**

The way he kept looking at her as they made their way down for a late breakfast with the other guests was making her want to drag him back to the room and forget all about the mission.

He'd taken her hand as they walked, a gesture that felt both surprisingly intimate and comfortably natural. It was a little scary how easy it could be to get used to it.

"Sleep well?" he suddenly asked, and she willed herself not to turn beetroot.

"Yes I did, actually." She couldn't help the smile. When she risked another glance at him, she saw the telltale twitch at the corner of his mouth that said he was suppressing one of his own. "How about you?

The twitch began to turn into a smile and he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, sending a delicious shiver up her arm. "Yeah... Yeah, I slept pretty good, Kate. Good dreams..."

She could no longer hold back the blush as she thought about her own dreams. "Mm-hm," she managed to say.

He nudged her shoulder with his own, and she couldn't help looking up at him. That dangerous smile again. It really did take years off him. It was impossible not to respond, impossible to look away. Somehow they'd stopped in the middle of the corridor, and she found herself trapped like a rabbit in headlights.

He tilted his head and dropped a kiss at the corner of her mouth, just the lightest, briefest of touches, but she felt it down to her toes. Her eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her again, still light, still gentle, practically chaste compared to last night, but she struggled not to melt against him. She felt him smile against her mouth, as if he knew exactly the effect he was having on her.

"Gibbs," she managed to say, a feeble protest between kisses. "Why are...? I mean, there's no one... mmmm..."

"Sorry, Kate, didn't quite catch that..."

From the undercurrent of laughter in his voice, she was sure he knew exactly what she was trying to say, but apparently he was enjoying playing dumb, and enjoying rendering her incoherent even more.

"I..."

"Yes, Kate?" Another kiss, this time a little more insistent, and she struggled to keep her train of thought.

"I just..."

"What?"

He actually stopped for a moment. It gave her a moment to think. "Why're you kissing me?" It came out blunter than she'd intended, but seeing as she was standing there practically panting, she suspected he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"You complaining?"

"Nooooo... ahhh..." He kissed the other corner of her mouth while she was still talking, and she was slightly appalled by the noise she made. His mouth should be covered by the controlled substances act, she decided.

"So what's your point?" he murmured.

It took her a second to remember that she _had_ a point, let alone what it was. "Well, ahhh... there's no one watching, us, Gibbs," she managed. Her voice sounded giggly and breathy even to her own ears. Maybe that was OK, she reassured herself. Especially since she really, _really_ didn't want him to stop.

"You can never be too careful, Kate. Rule 8, never take anything for granted."

The last few words he said practically into her mouth before he stole another kiss, light, teasing, playful. There was a mischievous grin on his face as he pulled away a little, and he looked exceedingly pleased with himself.

She just had to wipe that look off his face, she decided. It was the only coherent thing left in her head, so it seemed a logical conclusion. There was also only one way she could come up with to do it. _But at least it's a fun way_, she thought, as she pulled his mouth down to hers.

**_TONY_**

"And they're at it again," said Tony in an undertone, his hand over the mic so Kate and Gibbs wouldn't hear him. Though from what he could gather, they probably weren't listening.

"At what?"

"Kissing in the corridors. Grappling in the grounds. Swapping saliva behind the scenes..."

"OK, OK, I get the message, Tony. They're undercover, they're supposed to be a couple, it goes with the territory." Tim didn't look particularly convinced by his own argument, but he'd clearly decided the party line was a safe refuge, at least while they were still on the job.

Tony wasn't about to let Tim get away with dismissing the mental images when he'd reluctantly witnessed the real deal. "Tickling tongues, tonsil hockey-"

"Seriously, Tony, I'd rather not think about this right now."

"Wouldn't we all, Probie, wouldn't we all? Unfortunately no one invented brain bleach yet. And if I have to suffer, I'm taking you down with me." He got no response. Maybe if he upped the ante a little... "You know, I'm starting to wonder what the overnight shift would hear if our intrepid colleagues didn't take their wires off before they went to bed. Bet that would be more interesting than what they're recording from the bugs. If those walls could talk..."

"I'm sure they wouldn't do anything inappropriate, Tony. They're working too, remember. It doesn't mean there's anything else going on."

"But what if there _is_, Probilicious? Aren't you even a little curious? You're supposed to be an investigator... Fake dating can lead to all sorts of not so fake places."

Tim looked as if being made to think about this was decidedly uncomfortable. Given that was Tony's intention, on the grounds that misery loves company, he pressed his advantage.

"C'mon, Tim... They're a lot alike, you know. Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah right, Tony. Kate's so much like Gibbs, I _don't_ think."

"Stubborn, won't listen to reason, used to getting her own way... Yeah, that doesn't sound like Gibbs at _all_..."

McGee thought about that for a few moments, and Tony could see the dawning realisation that he had a point. "Well... Yeah. OK. But that doesn't mean they're... You know... Not everyone has a one track mind like you. Most people can keep it in their pants when necessary."

"I have a one track mind because I'm a man, not a McMouse, McGee. Admit it, you're thinking it too, I'm just the one with the guts to say it out loud. Talk about a perfect opportunity to score points with your boss... and I'm freezing my butt off and passing round canapés."

"Somehow I don't think you could score points by kissing Gibbs, Tony, so I doubt you're missing out."

He treated McGee to a withering look, but sensed he was losing his advantage in the conversation. "Ha very ha, McGee. You know what I meant, and I..."

"Shhh!"

He glared. "Hey, you don't get to shush me, McGee, I'm the senior field agent-"

McGee shot him a pleading look just as he noticed the cessation of making out noises and the return to conversation at the other end of the wires.

"_DiNozzo_?"

"Yes boss?" He tried to keep his tone light and innocent even as he shot his best 'holy crap' expression at McGee.

"_We're about two minutes away from breakfast with the other guests. Keep an ear on our conversations, and I want a sitrep from HQ in ninety minutes_."

Relief had them both babbling.

"Yes Boss."

"On it, Boss."

"You got it."

He cut them off with a longsuffering sigh. "_I don't need a commentary, just get on with it._"

They both shut up. The ambient noise shifted as Gibbs and Kate started to mingle, and Tony covered the mic again to risk whispering an urgent question at McGee.

"You think_ El Jefe_ heard me?"

McGee shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

Tony raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Wait till we're back in D.C. and see if he breaks your nose or not."

Tony sat back in his chair and weighed up the pros and cons of trying to continue the conversation as he watched Tim turn back to his computer. It probably was a little too risky.

"Hmmm. There's a thought that's gonna haunt me."

"Yeah, well how about this one?" McGee responded, without looking up. "If Gibbs heard you he'll be pissed at you for a few days, maybe even a couple weeks, sure, but you know what Kate's like when you start to pry into her private life."

Tony gulped, remembering previous times he'd been brave or foolish enough to poke around in Kate's life.

McGee had a point. Gibbs might well break his nose, but Kate? Kate would probably disembowel him.


	30. In Trouble

**_GIBBS_**

They'd lucked into another sunny day, and although it was still definitely cold outside, their host's 'outdoor pool' was actually enclosed in a heated conservatory. Sipping bourbon by the poolside bar, Gibbs figured most people would think this was as good as it got, but he was pretty sure he'd be climbing the walls with boredom by the time they left. They had more to occupy them than the legitimate guests, of course, but he couldn't imagine wasting as much time as some of them seemed to. Idleness held no attraction for him.

It was also an enforced day of waiting while McGee and Abby consulted with the FBI and their tech counterparts in all the agencies involved, trying to figure out how to circumvent whatever was messing with their comms. They'd placed several bugs, and he knew Kate was using the excuse of changing to swim to place at least one more, but the decision had been made. The critical, and most risky, placements in the East Wing needed to wait till they could be certain of actually being able to retrieve any intel the listening devices picked up. It was the kind of inactivity that drove him nuts, frustrated that he had no power to fix the problem beyond taking his frustration out on McGee by yelling at him every hour or so.

McGee owed Kate a thank you, though, he thought, as he saw her entering the pool area. She slipped off her flip flops and robe and left them with a towel on one of the sun loungers, then noticed him watching her. He really hoped the way her face lit up was genuine, not just acting. Smiles like that definitely kept him in a better mood, and it was easier to have a little patience with the techy guys when he had such enjoyable company.

He couldn't help checking her out as she approached - he couldn't imagine that any man with a pulse would be able to resist. Seeing as he was playing a part and had a damn good excuse, though, he took his time and didn't try to disguise it. His gaze was leisurely as he took in her strong, toned body, and the dark green swimsuit that somehow managed to be relatively modest yet terribly alluring. Or maybe that was just the affect she had on him. It was probably very wise that he was only allowing himself one glass of bourbon.

He wasn't surprised, when he dragged his gaze back up to her face, to notice that his perusal had brought a flush to her cheeks, but she did surprise him when, with an embarrassed but somewhat cocky smile, she struck a pose and asked, "You like?"

There was no way he could resist this woman's smile, and he hoped his answering grin was not quite as goofy as it felt. He stood up, circled her, still looking her up and down, and pretended to consider his response, as if he needed to think about it.

"Hmmm."

"Well?"

"I gotta admit, Kate, I'm a little disappointed."

She looked genuinely surprised, even shocked. Clearly, she'd read the appreciation in his eyes.

"_What_?"

_Oops_. He'd been a little optimistic. She wasn't shocked - she was pissed. He'd better dig himself out of the hole before she decided to damage him, he realised, and leaned in to qualify his statement in a flirtatious undertone.

"I was kinda hoping you'd brought your Puerto Rican two piece..."

Her sharp intake of breath was extremely gratifying.

"Gibbs!" She thwacked him in the arm, and her blush intensified, though, he noticed with interest, so did her smile.

"LJ," he murmured.

"What?"

"LJ. Not," he tapped her nose with one finger, "Gibbs." There was no one near enough to hear them, but plenty who could see them. That was a good enough reason for him to move closer still and get in her space... Crowd her, watch her pupils dilate... See the hitch in her breathing, caught between nerves and... desire? He really hoped so.

With the sunlight glowing in her eyes, they appeared more amber than chocolate, but just as beautiful. _A man could get lost in those eyes_, he thought. It was a shame that getting lost was not an option right now. Well, he amended, as she held his gaze, maybe a little lost was OK...

His hands slipped down to her hips without his brain taking any conscious part in the decision, and he bent his head till his lips brushed her ear. "You look good, Katie." Her hands came up to his chest. For a moment he thought she would push him away, embarrassed, but she swayed into him, gripping the material of his shirt as if she needed the help staying upright. "Smell good, too," he added, feeling reckless.

She giggled as she rested against him, and said something that was muffled in his shirt.

"What?"

Her face was so close to his when she lifted her head, he stopped breathing for a moment. Another of those blinding smiles. "So do you," she whispered, her cheeks reddening again.

Her proximity was so intoxicating, so distracting, he couldn't work out what she meant. She must've seen the question in his eyes, as he couldn't seem to find enough air to actually ask it.

"You smell... _good_."

The tone of her voice... He swallowed hard. _That was unexpected_. Last night, when she'd had a glass of wine and he'd kissed her thoroughly, the expression in her eyes had stunned him. Seeing it again now with no alcohol or kissing or potentially explosive situation to explain it away was more of a thrill than he'd known he was still capable of feeling._ This is dangerous_, his brain warned him, but he decided common sense could take a hike, just for a while.

"Thanks.". A strand of hair had escaped from her messy ponytail, and he tucked it behind her ear. Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup, and as open and happy as he could ever recall seeing. Her lips were slightly parted as if in invitation, an invitation he couldn't refuse.

He bent his head, taking it slow, giving her the chance to stop him or redirect him. Still she didn't look away. He paused, so close he could feel her breath on his mouth, tacitly asking permission. She was less patient or more eager than he'd imagined - before he could tip them over that edge, she did it for him, smiling against his mouth as their lips met and her hands cradled his face.

The kiss was languid and tender, as if they'd kissed a thousand times before and knew they would kiss a thousand times more. Her mouth on his was warm and sweet, and it was an effort to break away. They were supposed to be a couple, he reminded himself, but not love-drunk newlyweds.

It was a second before her eyes opened, and then she looked down, suddenly embarrassed.

"Well, what d'you know... You taste good, as well." He hadn't really meant to say that out loud, but at least it made her grin.

He gripped her shoulders for a moment, offering a kind of reassurance, and kissed her forehead. "Go enjoy your swim, Kate," he whispered, giving her an out. She nodded, then to his surprise leaned in and rested her cheek against his chest for a moment before turning away.

_You're a lucky bastard_, he told himself._ And probably a fool_. Either it wasn't just him being carried away by this whole situation, or else she was one _heck_ of an actress.

There'd always been a connection between them, a certain zing to their banter. Back on AFO, before he'd made the brilliant, stupid, maddening decision to offer her a job, he had wondered how she'd respond if - no, who was he kidding, _when_ - he asked for her number. He was pretty sure she'd have gone on a few dates with him, maybe even slept with him if her tastes ran to flings with older men, but he suspected it would never have gone further - and he would have escaped from the affair more or less unscathed.

Now? If he got involved with her now... He knew her, respected her... Liked her... Wanted her. He didn't dare put more words round it. It was less than twenty four hours since the first time they'd kissed, and he was already in big trouble.


	31. The Course Of True Love

**_GIBBS_**

"Wow, she must be good."

If he hadn't been so absorbed by Kate, he'd've noticed the guy sooner, but now his attention was caught he smelled the alcohol. He didn't allow himself to swerve away from the sour stink of second hand booze and second hand smoke, though he resented the distraction from a perfect moment with Kate.

The man's voice was a little slurred, clearly three sheets to the wind, but Gibbs couldn't suppress the flare of anger at his tone. He didn't answer, not quite willing to trust that it wouldn't show through. It wasn't the moment to get confrontational.

"I mean, sheesh, I've never seen a man look at one of them like that," the guy continued, leering and entirely oblivious to Gibbs' reaction. "She do house calls?" he added, with a lecherous wink.

Gibbs snapped his jaw shut on the response he dearly wanted to make, but allowed himself to glower. The 'fact' that Kate was a high class escort had been seeded amongst other pieces of misleading information amid the many layers of cover they'd established, but he wasn't sure if this man had heard that particular piece of gossip, or if he was just a slimeball making assumptions about why Kate would be with an older man.

"That body..."

That was it. "That's my girlfriend you're ogling." He didn't raise his voice. His colleagues at NCIS would have recognised the quiet menace as much more dangerous than yelling.

"Girlfriend? That ain't what I heard." Clearly, this guy did not have a very well developed sense of self preservation.

"She's here with _me_."

It came out more emphatic than he'd intended. The thought of this jerk going anywhere near Kate...

"How 'bout when you're done with her? Bet she's worth every penny."

Gibbs' fists clenched involuntarily. It would feel so good to punch this slug of a man right in his vile smirk. He satisfied himself with getting in the man's face. "Leave her alone."

Even Mr Clueless couldn't miss the implied threat this time, even if he was still being flippant about it, "Jeez, man, chill. I wasn't about to ask for her business card," he grumbled, and finally quit staring at Kate for a moment to look at Gibbs properly for the first time.

It was satisfying to see his expression change from cocky drunkenness to wide eyed fear. Even a former Marine, it seemed, was scarier than anything he'd ever had to face before.

"Leave. Her. Alone." He paused, giving the man a chance to take in the scowl. And the physique. "Clear?"

He took a step back, nodding fast and nervously. "Yeah, man, yeah, sure..."

Gibbs continued to glare at him. It was obvious he was trying not to appear intimidated, but after a few more seconds he looked down and then scuttled away.

Gibbs allowed himself to relax a little, going back to watching Kate. She was swimming widths in a very ladylike breaststroke, and he chuckled. Given she was an athletic woman and a more than competent swimmer, that had to be killing her. He'd half expected her to revert to powering up and down lengths by now.

It would be easy to watch her all day, but he made himself check out the others who were drifting around the poolside. The drunken ass was talking to a couple other guys who all seemed cut from the same pattern. A few dark looks were being thrown his way.

He'd be so damn glad when this was over, he realised. The war between what needed to be done, and how utterly distracting it was that he was doing it with Kate... He really needed to get a little control so he didn't jeopardise the mission, or put her in danger.

Even to himself, he didn't want to think about which of those concerns seemed more important. Whatever this was happening between them... having it happen in the middle of an op was extremely bad timing.

Suddenly he felt exhausted. This was a younger man's game, people were always telling him. Some days, recently, he'd wondered if they were right.

He made his way to one of the fussy wicker chairs overlooking the grounds. Taking a quiet moment to regroup seemed like an extremely good idea.


	32. Never Did Run Smooth

_**GIBBS**_

"Hey LJ."

The soft greeting almost made him jump, not something he was prone to. He'd been engrossed in his thoughts, everything from the case at hand to how Shannon would've kicked his ass for feeling sorry for himself. He hadn't registered Kate's approach, and didn't even know just how long he'd been sitting there. Except that it hadn't been long enough.

He glanced up at her for a second, then turned away again. She'd put her robe back on, which was a relief (or at least, he told himself it was), but he was beginning to suspect there wasn't any outfit she could put on which would stop him from wanting to pull her down into his lap and kiss her senseless. Keeping his eyes averted didn't exactly kill that impulse, but it made it a little easier to ignore, and right now, he needed to ignore as much of her as he could.

"You OK?"

He shrugged. This was just living up to his reputation, he supposed, especially considering how many times he'd kissed her today, unprompted and unprovoked. If it was possible to explain his erratic behaviour... But it was easier to hide behind the label of bastard for a few hours. A lovers' tiff might even make their cover more compelling, he assured himself, ignoring how pathetic that argument seemed even in the safety of his own head.

"Uh-huh."

She hovered for a few moments longer. He wanted so much to grab her hand, kiss her palm, say something to make her smile. Simply look in her eyes to see if that want, that need was still shining there.

"You sure you're all right, Gibbs?" In no time at all her tone had gone from happy and relaxed to nervous and withdrawn. He hated himself for that.

He didn't answer, expecting her to shrug it off as a bad mood and let him be for a while. He made himself keep looking out the window, willing her to give up for now. Still she stayed, and he found his gaze relentlessly returning to hers.

He hadn't been prepared for what he found there. Unbelievably, she was going to try again, reach out, make another attempt to bridge the gap. He could see it in her eyes. How was it that this woman seemed determined to care about him even when he was being such an ass? Her hand stretched out, and he was going to have to deflect her before she actually touched him, else all bets were off. She was too damn tempting.

"Agent Todd." He didn't need to raise his voice. She recoiled as if he'd slapped her, and he didn't blame her. She'd almost always been Kate, sometimes Katie, and outside of official introductions he'd rarely used her surname. He'd always been reluctant to put that distance between them. Right now, though, it seemed desirable, even necessary.

There was a moment of silence, and then her face turned stony. "Yes, _Boss_?" The quiet sarcasm wasn't lost on him and he flinched at the tone. Just as she was always Kate to him, he'd always been Gibbs to her. More colleague than superior, sometimes even more friend than colleague.

"Just... Go do your job," he snapped, though without his usual fire. For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of something in her face besides anger, but then she turned and strode away. He watched her for a few seconds more, then forced himself to turn back to the view.

_It had to happen during an op._ He shook his head at the self pitying thought: he'd spent the last two years making damn sure to avoid it. If it hadn't been for this op? It probably wouldn't be happening at all. And much as his previous experiences with dating a co-worker, and with relationships that started undercover, were not pretty...

He didn't know what he wanted, but he knew it wasn't for Kate to be mad at him, even if she had every right to be.

If he was the kind of man who spilled his guts, he'd be running after her to explain himself, or at least to tell her it wasn't exactly her fault he was wound up. But he'd been a bottled up Marine and Special Agent for so many decades now, and most of the time it had been to his advantage at work... even though it sucked in his personal life. He'd been told often, by ex wives, by girlfriends, by partners, by colleagues, that he had to learn how to communicate better. Seemed unlikely that it would happen after all these years, but his failure didn't usually leave him feeling this much of a heel. He dropped his forehead to his hand, rubbed at the tension gathering that threatened retribution for too many late nights and too much caffeine.

He'd apologise later.

He smiled grimly. Well no, he wouldn't _actually_ apologise. That would be extremely out of character, and would probably just freak her out. But he'd make amends, somehow. Right now, he just wanted to sleep. It would be a lot easier dealing with this excruciating mixture of emotions and being under cover and trying to do his job and Kate being... well, being all _Kate_... if he didn't feel like a Mariachi band was trying to escape through his right temple.

_Aw, hell._ Surely an older man who was supposedly trying to keep up with a much younger woman wouldn't attract too much suspicion with a quick nap? He quickly relayed a message to McGee not to allow him to zone out for more than twenty minutes, and settled back into the wicker chair. It was uncomfortable enough he could almost fancy himself back in the Corps catching a priority ride to some mosquito ridden hellhole. And that was a strangely comforting thought.


	33. Scuttlebutt

**_ABBY_**

It seemed like Tim was alone, but she had to double check before she opened her big mouth again.

"Is Tony there?"

"Nope, he's inside, doing his waiting bit. Is that the right word? If he was a woman it'd be waitressing, but..."

"McGee! Focus!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry Abs."

"So... what's the latest?" She wondered if he could tell her bottom half was bouncing in excitement, although she was taking into account his susceptibility to motion sickness and trying to keep her top half still.

"Well a few people have found out or guessed about Kate being an escort, one of them said something about it to Gibbs, I'm surprised the guy escaped alive. Kate planted two more bugs, and now they're just watching and waiting while we sort out what to do about the shielded areas, so-"

"Ugh!"

"What?"

"That is so not what I meant."

There was a pause, and she rolled her eyes. For an intelligent man, he could be so dense. She kinda wished she could reach through the screen and Gibbs-slap him.

"Well, what _did_ you mean, Abs?"

"What's the latest with Kate and Gibbs?"

"But Abby, I was just telling you-"

"Oh my God, McGee! Seriously! No, I don't mean with the case, I mean with them, you know? With _them_? Kate and Gibbs? Colleagues, friends, maybe more? Kissing in deserted corridors? Et cetera et cetera?"

There was a moment of silence, then she saw him flick the mute button so his side of the conversation wouldn't be beamed direct to his teammates' ears.

"I thought you were just joking around." He kept his voice low, as if he thought Gibbs might magically hear him anyway.

She shrugged. "Tony's a gossip, and besides, I'm not totally sure what's going on. But... you're trustworthy. And I am desperate for news!"

"Aw, thanks Abs. I'm touched you'd trust me."

She sighed. "So not the point, Timmy."

He looked suitably cowed. "Ah, yeah. Sorry." He thought for a moment. "Well... There was a lot of... You know, kissing earlier today. Seemed more than they'd really need to sell their cover. Tony keeps complaining about it."

"Uh-huh?"

"And then someone made a comment about Kate being a call girl, and I wasn't sure if he was about to actually punch the guy... I really wish we'd had a video feed of that one."

"Yeah..." They exchanged an empathetic look. Watching the Bossman go all Marine on some guy's ass? It never got old. "So what _did_ happen?"

"You know how he gets real quiet sometimes, when he's completely furious?"

"Oh yeah. Seen that before."

"I guess he must've gotten a full on Gibbs stare going. They didn't say much, but all of a sudden the guy just apologised and left."

Abby nodded. "Yup, sounds like a Gibbs stare to me. Only the very brave or the very stupid stand up to it."

McGee thought for a moment. "But you don't always react, Abby, and you're not stupid."

"That's because I'm super brave, McGee. Also, I'm his favourite."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, that's true," he conceded. "Anyway, the rest of the day he's been in a grouchy mood, kind of like he's reverted to normal Gibbs."

"Normal Gibbs is _not_ a grouch, Timmy. He's a teddybear. He just happens to carry a gun, and have mad skills, and-"

"Well, most of us get the gun toting sniper more often than the teddybear, Abs. I think I've heard him laugh more the last couple of days than in the whole time since I became a field agent."

Gibbs had it baaaaad... she was so pleased. "Which is great, right?"

"Well, it's been... Strange, but also kind of nice. Till this afternoon. He's been skulking around on his own, and I think he really upset Kate."

Abby frowned. "That's not good..."

"I just hope he turns on the charm again this evening. If they've found out Kate's supposed to be a call girl... what if their cover gets blown?"

"It won't. People thinking Kate's a call girl is good."

Tim didn't look convinced.

"If anyone suspected they had a secret, Tim, now they'll think they know what that secret _is._"

Realisation dawned. "Oh! So, it's like a decoy? That's good Abs, that's really good. I wonder how Kate'll feel about being known as a kept woman, though. With her being Catholic and all, I think-"

"She'll be fine, McGee. She knew what she was getting into. Anyway... enough of the boring stuff. Tell me more about the kissing..."


	34. Tension

_**KATE**_

It had been strange sharing the suite when they were getting on. Sharing it when Gibbs was in a mercurial mood was not at all pleasant. She was still reeling slightly from the emotional whiplash. He'd been flirting and kissing her shamelessly, and then a bare hour later he had shut her down. She desperately wished she could figure out why... And not just because she'd got used to enjoying his kisses.

At least he was talking to her now, even if so far it was only to tell her that tomorrow he'd excuse himself for "an urgent business meeting", which in this case meant travelling back to the pick up spot in the city so he could collect the new bugs. Gibbs hadn't picked up more than a quarter of McGee's technical explanation, and lacking understanding himself, he'd passed on even less of it to Kate. But the upshot of it was that they would circumvent the kind of shielding that was the most likely culprit for their problems. They should be able to accomplish what they came here for, for which she was grateful.

She'd been relieved when Gibbs excused himself to take a shower. It might be over-optimistic to think that he'd be in a better humour afterwards, but it gave her a little time to breathe. The tension floating around in this confined space felt like it was going to choke her. Part of her thought she could see the same haunted, almost vulnerable expression she'd noticed when they were in Richfield, and another part thought she should stop making excuses for him.

Not that they were too confined, which was a blessing - it was definitely better than if they'd been stuck in some pokey motel. To call their temporary base a room or even a suite seemed slightly ridiculous to her. The huge lounge area was bigger than the living room in her apartment, and the bedroom was similarly enormous. Except for a relative lack of inside walls, she thought, she could live here pretty comfortably.

She couldn't suppress her sigh at the irony - for a real couple, this would be a perfect haven. It was all dark wood and warm creams, set off by golden hued light from old fashioned lamps and a vase of creamy white roses on the coffee table. The huge four poster bed added to the romantic air. Waking up with Gibbs this morning it had seemed almost heavenly, but if his mood didn't improve... well, she really, _really_ hoped it would, if not before dinner, then at least before they had to go to bed together.

She shook herself. At least she had washed the chlorine out of her hair earlier so it already looked presentable - though at the time she'd just been grateful for any excuse to get away from Gibbs after he had lashed out so unexpectedly. Anger and hurt and frustration had erupted in silent tears as she'd stood in the soothing flow of hot water. Crying over a man at her age was humiliating, but at least it had happened in private, and she'd felt more human afterward.

It meant she'd been able to take advantage of having a few minutes to change without feeling self conscious that he might appear at an embarrassing moment. He'd done his best to give her some measure of privacy, but coordinating two people showering and dressing, liaising with McGee and DiNozzo, and double checking their earwigs and wires were working before they left the room didn't leave much wiggle room for niceties.

She took one last look in the mirror. The dress was long, formal, black, although she rather liked the iridescent beading which caught the light as she moved and saved the ensemble from looking sombre. Her hair was a mass of curls piled artfully on her head and cascading down her neck, her makeup was subtle but flattering, her jewellery was understated but expensive, and overall, she thought, she looked pretty elegant. She hoped Gibbs would agree, but right now, she couldn't bring herself to care too much. "You'll do," she informed her reflection. Now all she had to do was wait.

Efficiency deserved its reward, she decided, and hers was to relax when she had the chance. It would be a shame, she told herself, if all this luxurious furniture went to waste the entire time they were here. She sank into an armchair and smiled. _Ah, yes_. She let her head drop back against the soft leather upholstery. It would be a crime not to enjoy this for as long as she could.


	35. Ceasefire

**_KATE_**

Kate was a little embarrassed, when the slam of the bathroom door woke her, to realise she'd actually fallen asleep. Slightly disoriented, her head shot round to the source of the noise, and then she reddened at the expression on his face; eyebrows raised and lips slightly pursed. She half expected him to chastise her for falling asleep, but after watching her for a moment he proceeded to dry his hair with the towel in his hand.

Hoping she hadn't creased her dress or messed up her hair, she made herself get up and inspect her appearance in the mirror.

"You look fine, Kate."

She'd been so intent on her reflection, she hadn't heard noticed him coming up behind her. She span round, only to find him so close her nose was practically in the crook of his neck. _Damnit_. Without meaning to, or even wanting to, she noticed that he smelled of sandlewood and some other musky, masculine scent she couldn't quite identify, underlaid with the typically Gibbs coffee and sawdust combination that she'd always enjoyed so much.

"You shouldn't creep up on people," she muttered, without much venom.

He shrugged. "Used to do it for a living. Old habits die hard."

She was torn between wishing he would get out of her space and being glad he was back in it, after avoiding her for most of the afternoon. The only possible escape route was to push past him, which didn't feel like a viable option.

He no longer sounded angry or wound up, just a little flat. She'd get a better read if she looked up at him, but she wasn't at all ready to give him the chance to read _her_ expression.

Willing him to step back and give her a moment to take a deep, calming breath wasn't working, and of course he did have to be inches away with his dress shirt undone. _That's just unfair_. She searched for something to distract herself, and it was then that she noticed the small tattoo on his chest.

_Kelly_. The name was tattooed on his sternum, just a fraction to the left, over his heart. It was small, subtle - something she'd have missed if he wasn't so close. Given he was a former Marine (not an ex-Marine, no such thing, she'd learned that early on), it wasn't surprising to find out the man had ink. She even vaguely remembered the mention of a tat or two in amongst the reams of information she'd mainlined over the last few weeks, but something so sentimental as a girl's name, in surprisingly delicate lettering... She'd figured him for his unit's number, an insignia maybe, or simply 'Semper Fi'.

Without thinking about it, she reached out and lightly touched the letters with the pads of her fingers, only too late taking into account that this also meant touching her boss's chest. She snatched her hand back, feeling the colour rise in her cheeks.

"Ex girlfriend?" she joked as she looked up at him, trying to lighten the mood and erase her faux pas. She hadn't expected to see pain in his eyes, however quickly he blanked it out.

"No," he answered shortly, in a tone she recognised as 'back off or live to regret it'. She complied, and he turned away, rapidly buttoning the shirt. She got the impression she'd unintentionally trespassed into something intensely private, and hoped it wouldn't wreck the fragile progress they'd made back towards civility.

The silence continued as he finished getting ready, and she suddenly wished she'd been a little less efficient. Sitting around waiting for him was a hundred times more awkward than if she had something to do with her hands. He seemed fractionally more mellow after his shower, but at this rate it still promised to be a very long dinner.

What was it about this incorrigible, irascible, infuriating man that made her care even when he was driving her crazy? It would be nice to fool herself that she was just concerned about preserving their cover, but that was too big of a lie to swallow. She cared because she cared. And that was really, really annoying.

She'd had vague hopes he'd say he was sorry for being such a jerk, or at least give some kind of explanation for snapping at her, but she should've known better. If they weren't going to spend the entire evening, and maybe beyond, in uncomfortable silence, she was going to have to do something about it herself.

"Gibbs?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Any chance you're gonna tell me what exactly I did to piss you off?" She tried not to sound too pissed herself. No point them both behaving like overgrown kids.

He half turned, looking at her over his shoulder before slipping his jacket on, but didn't reply.

"So?"

He moved to the dresser to grab his cuff links, and then slowly approached her, though he didn't look up from his wrists as he got closer. He was fiddling with his cuffs and generally being so uncharacteristically inept she eventually took pity on him, taking the cuff links from him in a businesslike manner, slipping them through the buttonholes and checking they were secure as if she'd done it for him a hundred times. She couldn't help noticing that he looked practically edible in a tuxedo._ Not helping, Kate_, she reminded herself. Unfortunately, it was hard to ignore.

Eventually he broke the tense silence.

"Katie..." She was pleased, relieved even, to hear a little more warmth returned to his voice. Very few people could get away with calling her that. "It's not... It wasn't..."

Gibbs wasn't exactly talkative at the best of times, but she couldn't recall ever seeing him at quite such a loss for words. "I wasn't pissed at _you_," he finished, shrugging. "I... I mean, I'm..." He trailed off, then gestured vaguely with his arms and shoulders, as if trying to explain the inexplicable.

She waited to see if there was going to be more. He huffed, and started to deal with his bow tie, but didn't speak, and she couldn't decipher his expression. Eventually she realised she was going to have to prod him again.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?" He looked distinctly wary, now, as if she was a wild animal he didn't entirely trust but was cautiously trying to befriend.

"Are you trying to... apologise?"

The sudden look of discomfort and distaste was what did it. She couldn't help laughing, her residual anger dissipating. He suddenly reminded her of a little kid forced to eat his vegetables. He was _trying_, she realised, and knowing Gibbs for the stubborn old bastard he was... Well, even that meant something.

"What's so funny?" he demanded gruffly.

"Is saying sorry really so painful?" She asked the question softly, caught between amusement and frustration, and resisting the urge to inform him he was an idiot.

Now he looked like she'd suggested he have a root canal without anaesthetic, and she bit her lip, trying not to laugh again.

"I... yeah..." He sighed, giving in to his inevitable doom. "I _am_ sorry, Kate."

She shook her head, on an impulse stepping in closer to kiss his cheek. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was blushing slightly when she drew back. "You're forgiven, Gibbs," she told him softly, shaking her head again. "Mostly."

He really did look embarrassed, yet another emotion she didn't usually connect with him at all. But he also looked relieved, finally meeting her gaze properly for the first time since the incident at the poolside.

"Kate... Thanks."

She cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "Why'd I put up with you?" she joked.

The side of his mouth twitched upwards. "Not a clue."

"Me either."

Her dry tone coaxed his half smile into a full on grin (did that smile have to be _quite_ so devastating?), and he bent over to plant a chaste kiss on her mouth before offering her his arm. "Shall we?"


	36. Losing

**_KATE_**

"You think?"

Sometimes that typically Gibbsian catchphrase made her want to thump him for his sarcasm, but delivered in an undertone, and at someone else's expense, it suddenly seemed hilarious, and she dissolved into laughter.

Maybe it was partly relief. The better mood that had emerged in their room had stuck around, even improving as the evening went on. Gibbs was affable, even friendly to the other diners, and apparently content to amuse himself by dropping the sarcastic commentary he couldn't say aloud direct into Kate's ear, punctuating his zingers with an occasional all too brief brush of his lips against her cheek or neck.

She was grateful that all she had to do tonight was relax and enjoy his company. He had been, if anything, even more affectionate this evening, more tender, more... the best way she could put it was 'loving'. Putting that word and 'Gibbs' together in her head was... Distracting. She had the impression he was being a little careful with her, avoiding anything that might rekindle the heat between them.

Whether it was for her benefit, or for his, she couldn't figure out. If it was for her, she thought, with a sad little smile, it wasn't working. He was attractive when he was being a bastard; toning down 'mind meltingly passionate' to 'gently romantic' wasn't going to help her much.

The meal was delicious, despite Gibbs muttering into her ear about his dislike for peas, and she felt as if the sparkle that had returned to his eyes was contagious. He leaned towards her again, nuzzling her neck and then sweeping her hair aside to kiss her lightly below her ear. She leaned into his touch. Oh, she could get used to this all too easily.

Once the elegant china and silverware were cleared away, he took possession of her hand, absently tracing patterns over her palm and the sensitive skin at the inside of her wrist. It was an exquisitely pleasurable kind of torture, the sensation almost unbearable, and the only thing keeping her from snatching her hand back from him was that she was certain it would be even more unbearable if he stopped.

She sipped from her cup of coffee, then tried to stifle her wince. Apparently their host went in for what seemed suspiciously like Marine style coffee, even after dinner. She'd added a generous dose of cream, but even so, she wondered about the wisdom of drinking it if she was going to get any sleep tonight. Under Gibbs' influence, she was more and more used to taking her coffee as and when she could get it, but unlike him she still preferred that it not strip the lining off of her throat.

"You OK, Katie?"

Gibbs had got fairly caught up in a discussion about boats with the man sitting across the table (Kate suspected it was the first time all week he'd enjoyed a conversation with anyone who wasn't an agent), and she was surprised he'd even noticed her reaction.

She nodded. "It's just the coffee. It's a little... strong."

He took a gulp of his own, and she cringed. The man must surely bleed brown.

"Mmmm. It's good. Strong's-"

"-better. Yeah, I know." She raised her eyes heavenward and he grinned slowly, apparently pleased that she remembered, then nudged his shoulder against hers in a gesture of comradeliness, an acknowledgement of their private joke, before turning back to his conversation.

Of course, there was no chance of her forgotting Gibbs turning up at her usual coffeehouse, spinning an unlikely yarn about her skills with pork belly futures, and inflicting his caffeine dealer's brew on her. She'd still been recovering from her surprise when he started quizzing her about Ari, wanting to know her motivations and impressions, probing her and dissecting her, staring into her eyes in that unnerving way, making her feel like she was stripped bare.

She had sometimes wondered, looking back, if it had been his way of flirting - plying her with coffee, getting in her face, his eyes flickering down to her mouth and then pinning her with the intensity of his gaze. Could it be called flirting when he was relentlessly grilling her? But then, if anyone could flirt and interrogate at the same time, she reasoned, it would be Gibbs.

Of course, getting abducted by that lunatic had forestalled anything else that might have come of their coffee shop moment. And a year later, she still wasn't confident how he felt about her.

Tonight was the latest in a long, long series of confusing moments and conflicting signals which had only intensified since being undercover together.

It was pleasurable just to see him talking about boats, one of the few subjects that could coax him into enthusiasm and chatting so freely with a stranger. She gave in to temptation, leaning one elbow on the table and cupping her cheek with her hand so she could indulge herself. It wasn't often she had the chance to watch him unreservedly, and the excuse was too good to pass up.

Her gaze drifted to his mouth, then stayed there. His lips looked so delicious, and she really hoped he wouldn't manage to keep the whole no kissing deal up much longer. She felt like an addict denied her fix.

There was a painful possibility that she might not get to kiss him any more after this op was over, and if that was the case, she wanted to be sure she had many, many memories.

It was only when he started to smile, slowly turning towards her, that she realised she was licking her own lips, and closed her eyes, wincing at her incredible lack of subtlety. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, and hoped she hadn't been staring for too long.

"Bastard," she muttered.

"Yup, that's why there's two Bs."

She glanced over, and was relieved to see that the guy opposite them had left. She'd been so absorbed in her own thoughts she hadn't even noticed, which was humiliating in its own way, but at least it meant one less witness. There was music filtering in from the next room, and it looked like most of the guests had moved from the table.

"Do you have any idea how unsatisfying it is to insult someone and have them agree with you?"

He was obviously amused by her tone. "Uh-huh." His cheerful equanimity was annoying. "Wanna dance?" He tipped his head to the side, and smiled in that irritatingly winning way that made her want to forgive him for anything and everything and simultaneously made her want to strangle him.

She narrowed her eyes. "I guess..." Her reluctance didn't sound convincing even to her.

He pushed his chair back from the table and got up in one fluid moment, then offered her his hand with a little bow. His unusual gallantry was irresistible - _also_ annoying - and she sighed as she allowed him to take her hand. Unexpectedly, he bent to brush his lips across her knuckles before gently tugging her out of her chair, and she felt her heart thump a little harder. Gibbs being chivalrous? Just not fair.

He lead her through to the next room, his hand resting lightly on her lower back. The dance floor was deserted, and Kate resisted when he tried to tug her into his arms.

"I don't bite."

"Shame," she quipped, and had the satisfaction of seeing him look just a little bit shocked for a second before he schooled his expression. "No one else is dancing..."

"So?"

"So, I'm self conscious."

He gave up on pulling her closer, solving the issue of her reluctance by moving himself into her space instead.

"C'mon Kate... Dance with me." She could hear the undercurrent of laughter in his tone, and she couldn't help smiling back at him. The man was too damn charming when he wanted to be. It was probably lucky that most of the time he didn't, she realised. He'd be lethal.

He had his arms around her waist now, swaying her to the beat despite herself, and she shook her head. "You don't take no for an answer, do you?"

"Not when I want to dance with a beautiful woman."

She ducked her head, caught between embarrassment and delight. "You don't play fair, either." She couldn't resist slipping her arms around his neck.

"Nope."

"And you always have an answer. You know how irritating that is?"

"Yup."

She sighed.

He leaned in till their cheeks were touching. "Just dance with me, Katie. Who cares what anyone else is doing?" he murmured in her ear, running his hand lightly down the back of her neck, and she closed her eyes, feeling lightheaded.

_Damnit._ If he ever decided to seduce her for real, she was toast.

He chuckled when he felt her give in and relax into his arms, and if she didn't feel like her spine had been replaced with cotton candy, this time she'd give in to the impulse to thump him.

"You're a pain," she mumbled.

"Yeah, I know." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"And a bastard."

"I think we established that already."

"So long as we're clear on that..."

"We are."

She sighed. She'd lost the argument. On the plus side, with his arms wrapped around her, his hands warm on her back, and his body pressed firmly to hers, well, it could be worse.

If this was losing? Yeah. She could learn to live with it.


	37. Sharing

_**KATE**_

It seemed like getting into bed together should be less strange tonight, but Kate had never felt so nervous of sharing. Gibbs was sitting on the other side, rummaging in the suitcase he still hadn't entirely unpacked (she had rescued everything that was easily creased, but figured his boxers could fend for themselves), apparently without a care in the world, and - uncharacteristically - humming again.

She stood by the bed, chewing on her bottom lip. She still had to change and remove her makeup, but she kept getting distracted by worry and hope and anticipation and fear, and all the other emotions that didn't feel so much like butterflies in her stomach as a herd of elephants. Now she was just stalling, and hating herself for it.

It had been one thing last night, she had been painfully aware of his presence on the far side of the mattress, but since waking up in his arms this morning... Suddenly she felt incredibly self conscious, wanting so much to relive the experience, but also afraid. Afraid of what might happen. Afraid of what might not.

"I can sleep on the sofa if you'd rather," said Gibbs, jogging her out of her thoughts.

He looked... well, maybe a little nervous himself, which perversely made her feel rather better. And while she was sure he would sleep on the sofa if she preferred, she didn't get the impression he wanted to. That could just mean he didn't want to get a crick in his neck, but she'd seen him sleep peacefully for hours on a canvas seat slung between cargo pallets. Maybe he was as off balance as she was. Or... maybe she was over thinking things, as usual.

She shook her head. "Don't be crazy. There's enough room for three at least in this bed."

He gave her a strange look, then a slow, mischievous smile, and raised an eyebrow. "_Oo_-rah..."

_Oh for pity's sake, what a time for a Freudian slip, Kate._ She blushed. "That came out wrong. I just meant-"

"I know what you meant, Katie," he said with a teasing grin before turning back to his suitcase.

She threw one of the fussy decorative pillows at him. "Giiiiibbs!"

He caught the pillow one handed, without looking and with his usual infuriating Marine efficiency.

"I guess that's another reason to be grateful I'm here with you, not DiNozzo," she added as he settled himself down. "Tony would never let me live a comment like that down. He'd probably tell everyone at NCIS I propositioned him for a threesome."

Gibbs chuckled. "Uh huh, that _would_ be quite a story..."

"No need to look so smug, Gibbs, you know I didn't mean it the way it came out. You know I wouldn't - I mean, I'm not-"

"I promise Kate, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not DiNozzo."

"I know," she admitted softly. "You wouldn't gossip."

"Also..." The word was so quiet she wasn't certain she was meant to hear it.

Eventually, the pause started to make her feel uncomfortable. "Also what, Gibbs?"

One quick flash of those bright blue eyes then he turned off the lamp on his side of the bed, leaving his face slightly shadowed as he let his head fall back onto the pillow. He was silent for a moment longer, staring at the ceiling, or at least no longer looking at her. She began to wonder if he'd finish the thought.

"Also... also, I don't share, Kate."

She didn't know quite how to respond to that.


	38. Recollections

_**GIBBS**_

He wondered if Kate was aware that he was watching her intently as she wiped the last traces of makeup from her face. She was so methodical he almost felt he was intruding on a private ritual. At the same time he felt strangely touched that she was comfortable enough to sit at the dresser in her pjs to do it, as if this was some kind of regular occurrence. It was a startling change from yesterday, when she'd scurried from the bathroom to the bed as if him seeing her in her nightclothes was completely improper.

"I won't be long," she said suddenly.

He frowned. "Who's rushing you?"

She snorted. "I can practically hear you being patient against your will, Gibbs. I'm sure in your head there's a commentary about how long it's taking me. I mean, I'm glad I don't have to actually listen to it, but we both know it's there, right? You're lying there thinking she's gonna wash her face in the morning anyway, and wondering why I'm bothering, aren't you?"

At least she sounded more amused than annoyed. He considered telling her that for once she hadn't read his mind, but he didn't want her asking what he had been thinking instead. And she had a point - he probably would've been thinking something along those lines if he hadn't been indulging himself in simply watching her instead.

She took his silence as an admission of guilt. "Knew it."

He grinned to himself. _You don't know the half of it, Katie girl._.. "So, outta curiosity, what _is_ the point?"

She shrugged. "I don't especially like waking up with my face smudged all over the pillow."

He remembered all too well what she'd looked like on waking, but he'd keep his reaction to that particular image to himself for now. Telling her she was so sexy in smudged makeup that he'd temporarily forgotten how to breathe probably wouldn't be the wisest move.

"Then wear less makeup." He'd never figured that one out. Why a woman as drop dead gorgeous as Kate felt the need was a mystery to him.

"I don't especially like looking like the walking dead either, Gibbs..."

He blinked. What was she...? "But you look fine without makeup, Katie."

"I was aiming for slightly better than just 'fine'..."

_When did _fine _become a bad thing_? This was, he realised, a dangerous road. Whatever he said, he was likely in trouble. He'd probably end up insulting her by accident or inadvertently admitting he thought she was stunning no matter what. Given that they still had the best part of two days before they could get out of here, he should probably keep that to himself as well. Though after that...

"You looked... beautiful."

She looked over her shoulder at him, and even in the semi darkness he could almost feel her searching his face for any hint of insincerity. It was a little endearing that she could have any doubt - she'd looked in the mirror, he thought, she must've had some idea incredible she'd looked.

"Thanks." Her voice wavered slightly. She turned back to the mirror and cleared her throat. "Um. I'm almost done."

"'S OK. It's not exactly a surprise, Kate. Not the first time I've shared a room."

"You don't say..." The playful edge was back in her tone, and relief settled on him like a blanket that this particular minefield hadn't produced any casualties.

"It is true, though. Women always take longer to get ready for bed."

"Whatever, Gibbs."

"Given the circumstances, you can call me Jethro, if you like."

Even as he said it, he realised he didn't really want her to stop calling him Gibbs. Most people spat it out, or barked it, or muttered it with muted reverence, like it was his title. Kate, though, said it like it was... well, his name. Sometimes like a friend, sometimes an enemy, occasionally, even, almost like a lover. He had come to like it.

"Don't you think one pseudonym is enough, Gibbs?"

She was tidying her toiletries away and didn't look at him, but he could practically hear the sarcastic eye roll, and laughed. There it was again. Somehow the way she managed to put so many inflections on that one syllable, conveying anything from contempt to affection, had become comfortable, even comforting. Like the fact that she rarely called him boss, it confirmed to him that their relationship had always been something more than merely colleagues.

"I guess as long as you're not callin' me 'you bastard' to my face every time, I'm doin' OK." Her snigger was totally worth the self deprecating joke. "It's up to you."

"I don't know if I could get used to calling you anything else, now." She chuckled. "A creature of habit, I guess."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him, head on one side as she made a show of thinking about it. He could get used to her trying to tease him, for sure. "I'm just gonna call you Gibbs," she announced, grinning.

"You can call me anything you want."

It had been intended as a joke, but even as he said it, the words resonated in his head and the memories welled up. Finally talking to Shannon at the train station, after admiring her all summer. Him a gawky, green youth, both proud of and a little self conscious about his uniform and his freshly shorn military haircut. Her young and fresh, and smiling, glad he wasn't a lumberjack. Everything so new, so full of promise and hope and possibility.

The pain and loss hit out of nowhere, and he winced at its potency.

"You OK?" He wondered if he'd made some involuntary noise as the recollections rushed in. Or was he just that easy for her to read in the half light? "Gibbs, what's wrong?"

He had to tell her.

Till now it had never been an issue. It just wasn't something he talked about, it was that simple. And that excuse had always been good enough till now, even with Ducky, with Abby... even with Jenny.

But not with her. Not with Kate. Something had changed the last couple of days, something that couldn't be blamed entirely on their being undercover together. He'd attempted to convince himself otherwise, with little success, but this evening had just confirmed he was a fool to even try.

His secretiveness had royally screwed things up too often in the past.

Kate was... she was different, she was special, she was... He couldn't find the words to explain it even to himself, but she was someone he didn't want to lie to, or hide from.

She needed to know. She deserved to know. And what was more surprising, he suddenly realised, was that he wanted her to know.

He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. "Gibbs? You OK?"

_Not tonight_. It had been another long day, after an exhausting weekend. No matter that the desire to level with her was burning him inside. She needed rest. They both did. _Tomorrow_, he promised himself.

"Yeah, I'm OK, Kate. Get some sleep."

Her hand stayed where it was for a second, then retreated, and he sighed, a curious mixture of relief and disappointment.

"OK." She didn't sound convinced, but she did sound resigned, and the fatigue fraying her voice reassured him it was the right decision. The sheets rustled, and then she turned the other light off. There was tension in the air and he wondered if she was remembering this morning, if she remembered it as fondly as he did.

He wanted to reach out, and gather her close. It had been a long time since he'd really wanted to snuggle up with anyone, never mind when he was basically throwing out rule 12 to even consider it. She hadn't seemed to mind waking up that way, but that wasn't quite the same as deliberately wrapping her in his arms.

He turned towards her. "Sleep well, Katie." He suddenly noticed she'd edged closer to him, much closer than he'd realised.

Tentatively, he reached out, smoothing her hair away from her face. Her eyes were closed, but he felt her smile as his fingers drifted over her cheek. It was all the encouragement he needed, and he slipped an arm around her shoulders. She made no protest. He tugged her a little closer, and her hand crept round his waist and came to rest on his back as he settled her in close. Apparently, this was very much OK with her.

"'Night Gibbs..." she murmured into his shoulder. "Sweet dreams."

He stroked her hair softly, enjoying the moment as she relaxed and her breathing began to slow into the pattern of sleep. He shook his head with a wry grin.

Who needed sweet dreams when he had Caitlin Todd in his bed and in his arms?


	39. Awakenings

_**KATE**_

Waking up in Gibbs' arms wasn't such a surprise this morning, Kate thought to herself, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. He was still out cold, snoring just a little, his arms linked around her back, with her sprawled on his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart.

She closed her eyes again, enjoying the intimacy, not to mention enjoying the chance to be up close and personal. That he was sexy as hell wasn't news, but getting to savour it at close hand was not something she was going to take for granted. It wasn't the first time but, she thought with a smile, grappling on the mats or being shoved bodily out of the range of a shooter or a bomb was not in the same league as being quite literally wrapped around his muscular solidity.

She breathed deeply, trying to imprint the sound, the scent, the _feel_ of him into her memory. If this never happened again, she really wanted to remember it. There was always tonight, and with any other man she would be feeling pretty confident of how things might progress. She'd been seduced and she'd been seducer; she knew how to play the game when she wanted, and till she'd started at NCIS, she'd usually gotten what she'd wanted, too.

Gibbs, though, had never really been predictable, and she wasn't expecting him to start now.

_Mmmm_. Oh, she could stay like this forever. Warm, safe, in the arms of the man she loved. Their relationship might be illusory, but for a few minutes at least, this was real, and she would make the most of it.

Although she was as relaxed as she could ever recall being, there was no way she was going to get back to sleep with him as a pillow. She let her mind wander, and wondered whether anything from these stolen moments would make it back into real life. Gibbs was adamant that romance between agents never worked, even had rules against getting involved, against dating coworkers, and until these last few days she'd taken it as read that those rules in particular were inviolable. Now, though, she didn't feel so sure. It was hard to believe he'd bend his rules for her, but maybe still more difficult to believe that everything between them had been fake.

She trailed her fingers lightly up the side of his neck, caressing the smooth angle of his jaw which had always fascinated her. Strong but not harsh - it reflected the man, she thought. As she stopped thinking about what she was doing, she grew bolder, running her fingers through his silver hair. She pressed her lips to his cheek, feeling the stubble that had sprung up overnight, then propped herself up, taking the rare opportunity to really look at him without feeling self conscious. It was strange to see his face relaxed, no lines of humour or anger or frustration or exhaustion creasing his features.

Her eyes and then her fingers dropped to his mouth, half open as he slept. She could feel him exhale against the pads of her fingers, and as she stroked her fingers over his lips, remembering how it had felt to taste him, to have him so utterly focused on her, her breath caught in her throat. She blinked, allowing the recollection to flow over her. It had been so good...

A moment of reflection would have sapped her courage and common sense would have asserted itself, but she was too absorbed to think beyond how much she wanted to feel his lips against hers. She lowered her head, teasing herself with his nearness, his breath on her lips, then she gave in, sighing in pleasure as she brushed her mouth lightly over his.

It was only a few seconds between giving in to the temptation and feeling him tense as he woke up. One moment she was illicitly enjoying his lips, the next he was looking at her through hooded, sleepy eyes, mumbling her name.

For an instant she was frozen in place, wondering how the hell she was going to explain this, cursing herself and cursing his timing, then somehow she was on her back and he was kissing her with barely controlled ferocity, her body pinned to the bed by his, one of his hands cradling her head and the other slipping under her nightclothes to caress the skin of her waist and slide deliciously up her ribcage.

_Oh. So. Good_. Her last rational thought was that her memory had not done this justice, and then she allowed herself to melt under his touch, submitting unreservedly to his power and passion.

She couldn't say how long it lasted except that it wasn't nearly long enough. Gibbs drew away from her, breathing heavily, and they stared at each other. He looked a little startled. She couldn't really blame him. She was feeling pretty startled herself, struggling to catch her breath, and technically, she'd started it.

"Kate. Kate." He looked uncertain, though his husky voice said his body was pretty sure even if his mind was confused. "I'm... I mean. Oh, God, Katie." He groped for words, as if anything beyond repeating her name was a stretch. "Sorry."

Two apologies in two days? She wondered if that was a personal best. _Hmmm. Probably not the time to ask._

Part of her, the cowardly part, the part that hated to take risks, wanted her to shake her head, mumble something noncommittal, disentangle herself and bolt for the shower. She tried hard to ignore that part, and took a deep breath. _Here goes._

"I know you're new at apologies, Gibbs, but here's a tip - never apologise to a woman for kissing her back."

He chuckled at her dry tone, and then she could see his mind catching up with his ears as he processed what she'd actually said and his eyes widened in surprise. She steeled herself to hold his look. Hiding away from this was getting old.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, his forehead creasing, then his face softened as his gaze dropped to her lips. "Kissing her... back?" he asked, as if he didn't quite believe what she'd just implied.

She swallowed. _Come on, Kate, you've faced terrorists._ Why was this so much scarier? "Uh-huh."

"Hmmm." He rested his head on one hand as he looked down at her, brushing her hair away from her face and absently tracing the line of her mouth with his fingers. She wasn't even sure if he really knew what he was doing or quite the effect it was having on her.

"Well, it's a hell of a way to wake a man up, Miss Todd..." He wasn't meeting her eyes, but the low growl of his voice set off a pleasurable squirm in her belly, and the somewhat idiotic grin that kept tugging at the corner of his mouth looked a lot like hers felt.

"I..." She stopped. She really didn't know what to say to him, and the tender expression on his face wasn't helping any. He let himself fall back into his pillow, looping an arm around her shoulders to pull her down with him.

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, the kind of comfortable silence that she'd grown used to sharing with him during the last two years and had missed amongst all the tension and uncertainty of the day before. She leaned into the crook of his neck, amazed at how natural it felt to be snuggling up to him. So warm, so comfortable and safe... "Do we have to get up?"

His laugh was low and sinful. She really hadn't meant it to come out that way. Though... it wasn't such a bad plan, if she was being totally honest.

"It's not that I don't see the logic," he rumbled into her hair. "_Believe_ me..."

He left the sentence hanging, and she bit her lip in happy embarrassment, glad her face was hidden. _My God, did he just suggest._.. His free hand was in the small of her back, under her pyjama top, the light touch of his fingers sending goosebumps up her spine.

"We have a job to do. The sooner it's done..."

_Oh Lord_, please _let the end of that sentence be what I want it to be._

"In the meantime," he breathed in her ear before he loosened his grasp on her shoulders and started to peel himself away from her, "I need a shower. A cold one. _Alone_."

The way he stressed the last word made her flush again, and she now had nowhere to hide. She pressed her face into his pillow, and prayed the tips of her ears weren't quite as red as they felt.

His chuckle, and the wicked grin on his face when she risked a glance, told her he knew exactly the tenor of her thoughts.

She groaned and burrowed back down into the pillow again till she was sure he was safely in the bathroom. She could think a little more coherently now he wasn't in the room, though probably burying her nose in the pillow he'd slept on wasn't the best move to clear her head. "This is bad, this is really bad," she told herself, "he _knows_..."

Somehow, though, she couldn't seem to stop smiling. Gibbs knew, he surely now knew, _exactly_ how much she wanted him, when even the mention of a shower was so charged she'd turned beetroot.

Part of her had been afraid of this happening ever since Guantanamo, ever since he'd pinned her with a sad stare and told her romance between agents didn't work. She'd taken it as a gentle warning, though she'd never been certain if he was referring to Tony or if he'd realised the way she looked at him when she forgot to mask her emotions.

Since then, she'd done her best to hide her feelings better. Unrequited love was painful, but by that point she knew that working with him and with the remarkable group of people at NCIS was not something she would willingly give up. Now he knew, and there was no turning back.

But on the plus side... Well. She grinned._ At least he doesn't seem to mind_.


	40. Words

**_KATE_**

Clean and dressed, Gibbs was all business, outlining how long he expected to be away from the house, how he was excusing his absence, making her promise to check to in with McGee and DiNozzo every hour, and so many other directives she was about to get a headache.

"Take no risks, you're a woman getting paid to be on holiday, and that's all you need to be today, Kate. Understand?"

"I know, Gibbs, I know. I'm not stupid."

"Never said you were, Kate. Just stay safe, OK?"

"OK, OK! I got the message the first dozen times."

He didn't look convinced, still, but she suppressed a shrug and turned away as he flipped open his cell to talk to McGee and DiNozzo. This bossy Gibbs was the one she was used to, not the attentive boyfriend Gibbs who screwed with her head and made her feel things that thrilled and terrified her, but she'd been rather enjoying the new version.

She couldn't figure out if he was backing off, trying to remind her that he was, after all, her boss, or if it was just a reaction to leaving her here alone after their intense encounter. She kept telling herself not to take it personally, but part of her worried that the cold shower had actually done its job a little too well. Either way, though, he'd definitely gone into CO mode, barking orders at her and the rest of the team, reminding her of relevant rules, and basically being a pain in the ass.

When she had emerged from her own shower, dressed simply in jeans and a sweater for warmth since she was planning to explore the grounds while he was away, he'd dropped the act for long enough to run an appreciative eye over her in a way that was borderline possessive. Although the clothes were expensive and beautifully tailored, she hadn't expected that kind of reaction, and it had made her a lot happier than she'd like to admit. If anything she'd been trying, for her own sanity, to dress down a little, reasoning that tonight, or tomorrow at the latest (_please God, don't make me wait longer than that_) they could distract each other to their heart's content.

Besides that, though, he'd been ruthlessly efficient in the most annoying way possible. Another time she might've called him on it when he started acting officious, maybe even teased him, but she really didn't want a repeat of his foul temper from yesterday when today had started so well. Best to ride it out and hope that it wouldn't last forever, even if she did wish she had the authority to bark a few of her own orders back at him.

"I knew I should've kept that Marine uniform," she muttered, not realising till she heard his laugh and felt the puff of air on the back of her neck that he was right behind her.

"So you enjoyed orderin' me round, Kate?"

From his tone it was clear he was very amused, and when she turned round his smile was... well, if it were on Tony's face she might've called it lascivious. On Gibbs' face it was... almost shocking.

Apparently the cold shower hadn't been completely effective after all.

She bit her lip, cursing his ability to provoke a reaction. Gibbs' frank admiration was a little unnerving, even now. Though, admittedly, unnerving in a way she rather enjoyed. Summoning up chutzpah she didn't really feel, she cocked her head.

"Actually, yeah, I did enjoy it, Gunny. A lot." As with practically everything she'd said since she woke up, especially when he was within three feet of her, it came out sounding more suggestive than she'd intended. She reassured herself that it was probably the least embarrassing faux pas she'd made so far this morning.

He moved in closer, and his voice was a low, sexy rumble. "I'll have to remember that... Captain. We'll see what we can do." He stayed in her space for a few more seconds then stood to attention and gave her a crisp salute, his mouth edging upwards in that lazy smile. After a few more seconds he went back to what he'd been doing and she allowed herself to breathe again. "For now, just make sure you follow _my_ orders." His voice turned brusque, and she wondered if he was having the same trouble she was keeping this professional.

"I'll be fine, Gibbs," she insisted. "I'm a highly trained federal agent. I protected the President. I'm armed and dangerous. I can take down a man twice my size."

"You're dangerous, I'll give you that," he said, with a look over his shoulder that made her want to melt into a quivering puddle of lust on the floor. He grinned again, and she felt her colour rise, grateful that neither of them were wired up just yet. If DiNozzo had heard that... She didn't even wanna think about it.

"Gibbs. Don't you trust me?"

He frowned as he slid his sidearm into its holster. "Course I do, Kate," he said with a shake of his head, seeming surprised, almost offended, that she'd even ask.

"Then why are you acting like I don't know what I'm doing?"

His frown deepened for a moment, and he looked... confused? She suddenly realised he hadn't made that connection - whatever was bothering him, it wasn't so simple.

In a few quick strides he crossed the floor to stand in front of her, looking down at her with an intensity that left her speechless.

"Kate. I trust you, I just..." He pressed his lips together, his frustration evident, then his words suddenly spilled out. "Katie, I don't wanna lose you."

Kate was stunned by the admission. That Gibbs was truly afraid of anything except for being vulnerable and running out of coffee was arguably a revelation in itself. That he would open up to her... that he feared losing her... that this taciturn man would actually put it into words. Even after the emotional upheaval of this op, even with the realisation that their attraction was definitely mutual, the kindling hope that maybe he cared for her as more than an agent and friend, she had not expected that.

She blinked away the moisture welling up in her eyes, reminding herself sternly that Gibbs and crying women was not a good combination.

She placed her hand in the centre of his chest, leaning into him to emphasise her words. "I will be careful. And I will be fine. I promise."

He looked at her, really looked. "You'd better be," he murmured, and bent over to kiss her, a slow, exploratory kiss, more tender and more heartfelt than she had expected.

It was the kind of kiss she wanted to go on forever, the kind of sweetness that a few weeks ago she hadn't even imagined he was capable of. When he pulled away, she was breathless.

He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his hands wrapped around her upper arms as if he was afraid to let go and a look on his face that she couldn't begin to interpret. "I... I don't know if I can do this," he whispered, and she had no idea if he was talking to her or to himself.

"Gibbs... I'm not expecting - I mean, I know you've..." She wondered how to say she knew he was crap at relationships without sounding rude or patronising. "You've been married three times, for God's sake, you're..."

"Four."

"What?"

He sighed, looking pained. "I've been married four times. Divorced three."

She stared at him for a second in shock, then shook her head. "But I... I don't..."

It made no sense. The loyalty Gibbs showed to his colleagues, to the servicemen he investigated, his integrity... She was convinced there was no way he'd be kissing other women like that if he had a wife to go home to.

"My first wife, Shannon..." His voice cracked, and he forced a chuckle. "You remind me of her, sometimes."

She really didn't know how to take that. Part of her wanted to bombard him with questions - to turn all the skills she'd learned from him over the last couple of years against him and force him to tell her the truth. But something in his voice made her hold back.

"Shannon, she..." He pressed his lips together for a moment. "She and my... my daughter, Kelly. I was serving in Desert Storm..."

_Kelly. His tattoo._

He looked as if he was trying to find the right words, his mouth working. "They died, Kate. They were... murdered."

Of all the things he might have been hiding... she'd never imagined. "Gibbs," she murmured, wanting to tell him how sorry she was, how much her heart ached for him, how deeply she cared, but none of the words would come. "Oh, Gibbs."

As she gazed up into his face, her mind put together all those pieces. His empathy with those who had lost children. His anger at those who took family for granted. The way he had with kids... she remembered the little blind girl whose father had put her in harm's way, Bruce Webb killing his own stepdaughter, and her heart seemed to clench with renewed anger for the pain they'd caused this broken man to bear on their behalf.

Without thinking about it, she stepped into his body, curled herself into his chest, wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could.

For a few moments he resisted, and then she felt him embrace her, his head resting on hers.

"I was in Kuwait," he whispered. "Surrounded by death. I was the one in danger, I was there protecting the things I loved, I was..."

_Maybe there are no words_, she thought. All she could do was hope he'd understand anyway. She could no longer hold back the tears which fell silently onto his shirt.

"They were supposed to be safe. It should've been me who died, not them."

The guilt in his voice was painful to hear. She couldn't help linking it to his ruthless pursuit of justice, the profiler in her kicking in involuntarily as a few more pieces of the puzzle that was Gibbs slotted into place. Then she pushed the thought aside. This was not the time to be analysing him, but to offer what comfort she could.

Eventually his grasp loosened, although he didn't actually let her go. He looked down into her face with fond affection.

He cupped her cheek in his hand, wiping the remaining tears from her face with his thumb. He smiled down at her, a smile that was tinged with sadness but strangely peaceful.

"Thanks, Katie."

She hoped her expression said all the things she couldn't put into words. They stood there for a moment, then he bent to kiss her once more.

"Tomorrow." The word was a murmured promise against her lips.

She let herself grin. "And today we have a job to do..."

"Uh-huh."

"Which means we better get on with it."

"Uh-huh."

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"We really have to go to breakfast."

She gently shoved at his shoulders and he let her push him away. His smile was almost shy, but also hopeful. It was an unusual emotion but one that really suited him, she thought to herself, grinning back.

They donned their wires in a companionable silence, and Gibbs took her hand to lead her down to breakfast as if they'd been doing this for years. She could live with sharing him for just a little longer, she thought. That whispered promise... that would keep her going. And tomorrow...

She grinned again as they reached the dining room. Who was she kidding? Tomorrow - heck, _tonight_ - couldn't come fast enough.


	41. Rule 12

_**GIBBS**_

"I'll be gone for a few hours. You'll be fine."

The words were more of a reassurance for himself, but he hadn't realised he was so transparent till she crinkled her nose at him and rolled her eyes. When had she learned to read him so completely? Her ability to gauge his mood at work had saved Tony from his wrath a time or two, but before this week he'd never had the sense she had the same insight into his personal life.

"Just don't stay away too long," she replied lightly. The way she plucked at the sleeves of his jacket, though, was anything but light. She was nervous, too, though he felt fairly confident that was less to do with being on her own for a couple hours and more about this developing relationship. Especially the fact that they hadn't even talked about it yet. There were things he wanted to say, reassurances he wanted to give... but even at the best of times, that had never been his forte. In the middle of an op? No way was he gonna risk fumbling it.

He wondered if she was thinking about rule 12. He couldn't help wondering what would've happened if he'd met her before Jen and all the accompanying drama. Maybe he never would've come up with it. Not that it made too much difference any more - he was already pretty clear on the next addition to his list. It wasn't one he planned on teaching anyone else: _in the case of Caitlin Todd, I will break any damn rule I please._

Of course, if he'd've met Kate back then, she would've been barely out of her teens. That realisation suddenly made him feel like a dirty old man. He looked down at her, wondering why a woman as beautiful and vibrant as Kate would ever be interested in him. _What the hell am I doing to her?_ He could ruin her career - her life.

Something must've showed on his face, because she chose that moment to lean into him and place a tender, lingering kiss at the base of his neck. He closed his eyes as she stroked slender, youthful fingers over his aging skin as if he was as young and fresh as she was. Another kiss at the corner of his jaw as her hand slid into his hair, and then she whispered something so quietly, so very softly, that he wasn't at all sure he'd heard right.

"I love you."

He tugged her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her, one hand cradling her head against his chest, his mind swirling. His eyesight might be shot, but till now he'd always trusted his hearing. But she couldn't have just said what he thought she'd said. Surely. Even the possibility...

He let himself breathe in her scent, kissed the top of her head, and hoped his body would communicate what he couldn't. The embrace was all too brief, both of them aware that they still had a role to play here, though he couldn't bring himself to completely let go. He tried to read her face when she glanced up at him, see if there was any clue whether what he thought he'd heard was his imagination working overtime, but she was uncharacteristically inscrutable.

"Well. I'll see you later."

"Uh-huh." The casual farewell felt incredibly wrong, and he grasped her gently by the waist, trying to communicate through his touch that this was anything but casual for him. The role of occasional lovers had become less and less comfortable each day, and this morning's memorable wake up call had smashed any remaining pretence that there was nothing else going on between them.

It was strange, even ironic, that he'd gone from fearing they wouldn't make convincing lovers to worrying that they were too convincing. Maybe a couple hours alone in his car to get his head on straight wouldn't be such a bad thing. He didn't want to wreck this by saying or doing something stupid, which seemed painfully likely right now.

He stroked his knuckles down her cheek, and the way she leaned into his touch was positively feline. The illusion was complete when she practically purred, then grinned like a Cheshire cat. It was a tempting grin, and he leaned in to taste it, chuckling into her mouth before deepening the kiss, gently caressing her face, enjoying the feel of her body against his.

A casual goodbye was bad enough, but a casual kiss was impossible. Through sheer willpower he managed not to get completely carried away, reminding himself sternly that he was a player saying goodbye to his current squeeze for a few hours, not a devoted husband greeting his wife after a nine month float in the Sea of Japan. It was much easier to keep ahold of that when their lips weren't touching.

_It won't be the last time_, he thought, and that was all that gave him the strength to pull away. It took a few seconds for her eyes to open, and he couldn't help feeling a little self satisfied with the effect he had on her. She looked how he felt - blindsided once more, like he'd had a bourbon or three over breakfast.

_Damn_. He had to leave before his slender grasp on sanity gave out.

"Watch your six, Katie," he breathed, and she nodded.

He bent to kiss her cheek and whisper "Later" in her ear, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he did so, touched her mouth with the pads of his fingers, enjoying the tiny kiss she placed on them, then abruptly tore himself away.

As he reached the door, he turned back for a second. She was still watching him, and that bewitching smile was enough to almost entirely short circuit his brain.

"You are one lucky bastard," he muttered to himself as he headed out. "Do not screw this up."


	42. Rule 5

**_MCGEE_**

"So, what's new with Kibbs?"

Abby's excitement was palpable. One of these days, she was going to get him in trouble, that was for sure. Even at the other end of a videoconference, Tim felt he was in danger of being sucked in to whatever was making her bounce around like a big kid.

"Kibbs?"

She grinned in a way that made him dread what was coming. "It's cute, huh? I just thought of it. Kate plus Gibbs. Kibbs."

He took a deep breath. It was worse than he'd thought. "Pleeeeease tell me you haven't mentioned 'Kibbs' to anyone else, Abby."

"Course not." His relief was short lived. "Well, except Ducky, of course. I don't know if he's told Jimmy... And I was gonna tell Tony..."

"Abs!"

She gave him an innocent look, and then grinned again. "I'm kidding, McGee."

"Don't do that to me!

"You're so easy..."

Tim decided to ignore the blatant double entendre. "I'm just too young to die."

"So... Tell me, tell me, tell me. What's going on up there?"

"Not a lot. Apparently the guys analysing the feeds have gotten a few good leads, but they're still hoping for something a bit more solid on our dirtbag. There's a senior field agent, in Europe I think, who apparently now owes us for a lead on an arms dealer, and a couple of other agencies have new information on cases, so it's all pretty good."

"Tim."

"Yeah?"

"You _know_ that's not what I meant."

He sighed. _I'm a dead man when Gibbs finds out_. He knew better than to bet against this getting back to his boss somehow, no matter how careful they were.

"Well, Tony's not back from breakfast yet, so all I know is what I overheard, which wasn't a lot. They were pretty quiet this morning, but at least they weren't arguing."

She looked thoughtful. "I suppose there wasn't much time before Gibbs had to head back to the city. I wish he was coming back to the Navy Yard, I want to know what's going on."

"You were gonna ask him?"

She shrugged. "So?"

He shook his head. "No one else would dare."

"Coward."

"Teacher's pet."

Her smug expression said she was perfectly happy not to deny that one. Her position as Gibbs' favourite might have been insufferable if she weren't... well, if she weren't Abby. She was everyone's favourite. Even if he hadn't been hopelessly in love with her more or less since their first telephone conversation, it would still be impossible to resent her for it.

She sighed. "I hate being patient."

_Like that's news_, he thought to himself with a smile.

"Sorry. Nothing to report. Though..." He debated whether to continue - whether he was reading something into nothing...

"Though what, McGee?"

He should've known better than to let his mouth get ahead of his brain. He wasn't quite sure how he and Abby kept ending up discussing just how much of the romance (as she put it) or deep undercover work (Tim was still trying to convince himself that was all it was) between Kate and Gibbs was real.

Tim was completely certain that if either of them ever found out it had become a regular topic of conversation, it would be his neck on the line. Kate would be getting in contact any second, and after Gibbs' insistence that they keep in regular contact with her, there was no way he was about to mute the mic. But heading Abby off of the subject was borderline impossible even when there really was nothing to tell. Then again, maybe she would be able to make more sense of the latest development than he could.

"Well, it was... odd. Gibbs rang me a few minutes ago, with a message for Kate."

Abby frowned. "Didn't they just say goodbye?"

"Yeah. It was weird. He just said to tell her-"

"McGee! You can't tell me his private message to her!"

"It wasn't a private message, Abs. I don't have a death wish. He said to tell her 'rule 5', but I don't know why."

Abby thought for a moment. "You don't waste good? I don't get it."

"Me neither. Maybe he's saying they make a good team?"

"Maybe he's saying 'you're really good in bed'?"

He groaned. "Don't!" If anyone overheard this... It would be so bad. Gibbs might be out of range now, but Kate was not, and would be trying to get in contact with them very soon. Fierce as Gibbs could be, in some ways Kate scared him more.

Abby was laughing openly at him now. It was OK for her, she was back at NCIS and out of reach. "Well if that is what he meant, at least you know they're both gonna be in a great mood today."

"I really, really hope they're just good actors..."

"Why McGee? The alternative is so romantic."

"It's not romantic, it's... weird. But the worst thing is, it would mean Tony was right."

There was a clatter. "Of course I'm right, Probie, I'm senior field agent, and that means I'm always right. What was I right about this time?"

Tony burst through the van door with his usual bravado.

McGee had to give it to him - relatively few people, he thought, could still ooze confidence even dressed in a succession of ridiculous waiter's uniforms.

"Tony! I miss you!"

"Course you do, Abs, who wouldn't miss this beautiful face." Tony smirked as Abby blew him a kiss.

Tim rolled his eyes. "Abs, it's been, like, two days in the field, and you've talked to him every day."

"So?"

"So... how could you possibly miss him?"

"Oh, Timmy, you're jealous. I miss you too, even though you stayed over last night."

DiNozzo grinned again. "Stayed over, did you, Timmy? Kept that quiet."

McGee glared at him. "For your information, Tony, the heat went out in my apartment building, and I didn't want to freeze to death."

"Hmmm, that's a good one, good excuse to huddle for warmth. I'm gonna have to use that sometime. Wonder if that new blonde down in reception would buy it, the one with the really big-"

"Tony, I wasn't-"

"Boys!" When Abby used that stern voice, they knew to shut up pretty quick. Tim was pretty sure she'd picked it up off Gibbs. "Stop arguing. There's work to be done, criminals to be bought to justice, evidence to be processed, statements to be examined-"

"Which reminds me, what was it again that I was right about?"

Abby fell silent, and when McGee glanced at her for moral support, she blinked and shrugged.

"It was... Ah..." Why did his ability to think on his feet always desert him at the least opportune moments? Judging by Abby's expression, she was going to be no help whatsoever. "About some people I know, uh, outside of work. Friends of mine."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You don't have friends outside work, McLoner. You spend too much time playing games online."

"Well, maybe they were online friends, Tony," supplied Abby.

He gave her a sceptical look. "Well, one, I don't think online friends count as, y'know, actual friends, and two, if McGeek was talking about online friends I don't know, why would he say I was right about them?"

"Uh..." DiNozzo behaved like such an idiot so often, it was easy to forget he wasn't just a dumb jock. And that was a risky thing to forget.

"Stop asking questions, Tony." Abby sounded like she was scolding a child. "McGee will tell you when he's ready."

Tony looked at McGee and raised an eyebrow. "So if I don't ask, he's not gonna tell?"

McGee turned his glare on Abby, and she sent him a twinkly grin. _Great_. He sighed.

"No, Tony, I'm not gay."

Tony shrugged. "Hey, I ain't askin'..."

"Abby, would you please tell him?"

Abby stifled her giggles and put on a serious face. "Tony, trust me, he's definitely not gay."

"I'm really not sure I wanna know either way," Tony said with a look of distaste. "Moving on... Were you listening to that, McGee? What the hell happened in there last night?"

It was almost a relief to get back to the subject of Kate and Gibbs. "Listening to what?"

"All the lovey dovey stuff? Kissing goodbye like he was about to be deployed? Ugh. I'm gonna need therapy."

McGee risked a glance at Abby, who was doing an extremely poor job of hiding her utter delight.

She did at least catch his unspoken plea, and rapidly excused herself. Tim suspected she'd only just resisted the temptation to cheer at the latest snippet of 'Kibbs' news, and was probably even now jumping up and down and punching the air as if she'd solved a particularly gnarly forensic problem. Now if he could just shut DiNozzo up before Kate heard them...

Fortunately, Tony was too interested in his own news to be suspicious of Abby's sudden disappearance. "Seriously, Tim, Kate and Gibbs... I dunno what to make of it." For a moment Tony seemed genuinely worried, but he covered it swiftly.

"They're just acting, Tony."

"Pfft. Acting, my ass. There's no way Gibbs is that good an actor. Military guys, sure, the strong silent type, maybe an action hero. This is like a chick flick - I keep expecting Meg Ryan to walk in. It's the world's most surreal romantic comedy, the beautiful woman and her sugar daddy. I'm disturbed, McGee, disgusted."

That was more characteristic. "Well, you're definitely disturbed, Tony. But Gibbs isn't that old."

"How do you know, McGee? Have you hacked into his personnel file?"

"Um, no, because I actually value my life, Tony."

"Then clearly you have no reference for Gibbs being 'not that old', and I win."

"Is there anything in life that isn't a competition to you?"

Tony thought for a second. "Nope."

_Ask a stupid question_...

"Trust me, something's hinky. I can smell it. I'm an investigator. It's what I do, who I am, the nexus of my identity."

Tim bit his tongue. He'd learned long ago that when Tony started to get all melodramatic, it was best to let him get it out.

"I can spot a fake kiss, and that was no fake, there is _something_ going on between Kate and Gibbs, and I _will_ find it out if it's the last thing I do..."

"_Well, Tony, it might just be the last thing you do. Or try to do_." Kate's voice chimed in and she was not amused.

Tim suppressed a grin. His official reason for never letting Tony mute the mics was that trusting DiNozzo even with simple technology was risky - he'd probably forget to turn them back on. Unofficially, though, watching Tony suffering from foot in mouth disease while the mics were live would never get old. He sent up a thank you to whoever was listening that it had been Tony, not him, who had gotten overheard.

For a moment Tony looked borderline terrified, then he put his game face on. "Sticking your tongue down Gibbs' throat isn't exactly professional, Kate."

"_It's called being undercover, Tony. You're so juvenile_."

"Am not."

"_Are too_."

"Am not."

"_Just stay out of my business if you value your life. Or your manhood_."

"Mmmm, methinks the lady doth protest too much, don't you agree, Probie?"

"_Zip it, DiNozzo_."

Tony grinned, obviously pleased to have needled her, though he had the sense to quit before she actually exploded.

Tim didn't relish the idea of tackling her right after Tony had got her all riled up, but he didn't fancy letting Gibbs down either. He took a deep breath.

"Kate?"

"_Yeah_?"

"Gibbs rang, he gave me a message for you."

Was it his imagination that said he could hear her catch her breath? Oh God, he was getting as bad as Abby...

"_OK... What did he say?_"

"He said to tell you, 'rule 5'."

There was another pause.

"_OK_." If he was feeling fanciful, he'd say her voice had softened slightly. After several more moments of silence, which he didn't dare interrupt, she spoke again: "_Thanks, Tim._" He felt strangely relieved that he'd managed to deliver the message without dropping himself in it in any way. With a bit of luck, neither Kate nor Gibbs would have reason to shoot him.

Tony, unsurprisingly, broke the mood. "Happy daydreaming, Katie, I bet you can't wait to go to bed tonight..."

Kate humphed. It was a suspiciously Gibbs-sounding kind of noise. "_I'm going for a walk in the grounds, OK? Get some fresh air. Spend a little time without you yammering in my ear. Think you can keep your mind out of the gutter for an hour?_"

"Doubt it," said Tim, then yelped when Tony head slapped him. Kate laughed.

_"Try not to kill each other. Talk later_."

She went quiet, and the guys looked at each other.

"You think she'll hear if we keep talking about her?" whispered Tony.

"You feeling lucky?"

Tony blanched.

Tim could only hope that fear would be enough to keep them both out of mischief.


	43. You Don't Waste Good

_**KATE**_

_You don't waste good_.

It was so Gibbs. She still couldn't figure out if he'd heard her soft admission this morning. She hadn't even been able to figure out whether she hoped he had or not. For a split second things had seemed so simple and obvious and right, but after he'd left, she'd started second guessing everything, and her growing paranoia had eaten away at that blissful moment of confidence.

Kate did not especially like playing things by ear, and they hadn't talked about... Well, anything. What this all meant, how it was going to work. Part of her, the part that was still a little girl in pigtails expecting to be swept off her feet, was ready to take that leap without a moment's hesitation. Her analytical side, though, had never been that great at spontaneity in even the most straightforward situations. When it was getting involved with her older, thrice divorced boss? For all his good qualities, Gibbs was hardly Prince Charming. Falling in love with him had been all too easy, but far from wise.

_You don't waste good_. She remembered his playfulness at the breakfast table, the tender glances, the teasing and laughter. He'd never be effusive, but it was as open and light-hearted as she'd ever seen him, warm, at ease, happy.

Then he'd kissed her goodbye so hard, so sweet. It had been shocking how much she'd hated to see him leave. There was so much still unspoken, still uncertain.

_You don't waste good_. She'd been a little nervous when Tim said he'd spoken to Gibbs. She'd been afraid he was backing down, backing out, using McGee as a go between so he wouldn't have to tackle it head on. But this...

This, if she was inclined to trust her gut, was his cryptic, though sincere, Gibbsian way of reassuring her. Letting her know that he wasn't planning on messing up, that he didn't want to lose her. That this was good, and he had no intention of letting it slip through his fingers. Much as she'd love him to tell her outright, there was something comfortingly predictable, so completely in character, about him resorting to such roundabout methods of communicating his feelings.

She laughed at herself, at what felt like a frankly ridiculous grin of happiness. Gibbs being Gibbs, he'd probably mess up anyway, but that was OK. She would too, no doubt. She didn't quite have his track record, but she was hardly the poster girl for straightforward, easy relationships. Somehow, though, she had a confidence grounded in nothing but instinct that they could make this work if they were both willing to try. And apparently, he was, which wasn't something she'd taken for granted. It was surprising and pleasing how much that simple message had comforted her.

Her only problem now was her impatience that he wasn't here, and that they still had a good twenty four hours of having to concentrate on things besides each other. It had been pretty hard summoning up the necessary indignation at Tony's suggestiveness. Truth be told, she was looking forward immensely to going to bed tonight, and even thinking about it put a spring in her step. She was nervous, borderline terrified, afraid of the intensity of her feelings, but at the same time so excited by the prospect it was almost physically painful to have to wait.

She could hardly stop herself from reliving their early morning kiss. She'd had herself fooled that she'd more or less gotten used to kissing him - used to the buzz it set up in the pit of her stomach, used to how he could somehow be so gentle and so fierce at the same time, used to how intoxicating that combination was - but now she knew he'd been holding back. Gibbs unbridled was... She closed her eyes and shook her head, smiling again. It had been amazing, incredible, breathtaking - the touch of his hands on her skin, the passion and the tenderness of his mouth on hers. Heavenly.

At least out here no one could see her grinning like a lunatic, and there was some possibility she'd get a grip on herself before she had to talk sense to anyone. Then Gibbs would be back, and they'd place the bugs, and then they would be free to come out here together, walk hand in hand, admire the beauty and (she admitted to herself with a snicker) maybe make out for a while in the dappled sunlight where they wouldn't have to be concerned about what the other guests would think. She giggled. Apparently she'd regressed to fifteen years old.

She glanced at her watch, and sighed. Even taking into account Gibbs' driving, she couldn't realistically expect him back for a good hour. Given the alternatives, she'd do well to enjoy the peace and fresh air, and attempt to get a grip on herself before she had to make small talk with guests or defend herself from DiNozzo's far too perceptive nosiness.

At least she had a pretty good mantra to repeat to herself while she waited. _You don't waste good._

She smiled. She didn't intend to.


	44. Success

**_TONY_**

Things were quiet in the surveillance truck. Tony had been entertaining himself with a game of trash can basketball so he wouldn't be tempted to speculate out loud about Kate and Gibbs, and he was pretty sure any second now McGee would finally lose his cool. Tony was proud of being a great shot, but it was just a little too easy to 'accidentally' send the odd screwed up ball of paper into the side of his partner's head.

"Oops. Sorry, McBackboard, I was going for a three pointer there."

McGee looked so grumpy he'd give the boss a run for his money. Tony grinned at him cheerily, and sent the next one zooming straight to its target, just to prove he could. "He shoots! He scores!"

He was rewarded with an extra glower, but his crowing was interrupted when Abby popped up on the computer screen.

"Hey guys!"

McGee looked relieved, "Thank God, Abby, he's been driving me insane."

"Who, me? What did I do?" Tony put on his best innocent expression.

"You and your juvenile-"

"I was just trying to-"

"Guys, guys! Now is not the time."

They both swivelled back to look at her.

"What's up, Abs?"

"I have great news."

"Great news?"

"Like, really great news. Stupendous news. Enormous success type news."

They waited for a second. Tim glanced over and Tony shrugged. If he wasn't used to Abby by now...

"So Abby, what's this great news?"

"Don't I get a drumroll?"

"Just tell us, please?" It seemed like Tim had finally run out of patience.

She pouted. "You guys always spoil my fun, Gibbs does it too. I work really hard, is a little fanfare that much to-"

McGee really did look like he'd go postal any second, and Tony reminded himself that they'd be sharing this van for some hours yet. "What do you got, Abs?"

"Nice Gibbs impression, Tony, sweet..."

"Abby!"

"OK, OK! I just got a call, like two minutes ago. They might still want the new bugs placed, but the FBI made a breakthrough in the case and it's looking really good."

"No way-"

"You're kidding!"

Cocking her head to one side, she gave them an indulgent look. "Yeah, I'm kidding, this is my idea of a practical joke..."

"Sorry Abs, it's just - wow - we didn't expect..."

"You're babbling, McGee."

"Sorry."

"So what happened? And when? How come we only just found out? And does this mean I get to stop being a waiter?"

She grinned. "Oh, but you look so good in the uniforms, Tony."

He glared at her. She winked but relented.

"Well the guys at the Hoover building have been working round the clock. Apparently Fornell got a call from Gibbs on Tuesday. I don't know what he said, but Fornell's been riding their asses all week."

"Probably bet him we'd find something before the FBI did..."

Even McGee chuckled at that one. It was something they could all imagine Gibbs doing. "It is their case, I guess."

"Whatever it was, it worked. I don't know the details yet, but there's a string of things they've been trying to link him to for months - they get close and then get blocked. They picked up some more details about his contacts from our surveillance at the tennis club bar, and they've been checking out all the guests invited to this little house party thing, chasing down anything suspicious, you know the drill. They were working that, then they got a lucky break. Turns out someone in France has financial information that connects him to child abductions overseas."

"How did they know what-"

"-in _France_? Who did they-"

"_Hey_!"

They quit talking over each other and turned to her.

"That was very Gibbs, Abby."

She smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Tony, I've been practising." She paused for a second, clearly enjoying having their undivided attention. "I should do that more often."

"How come we're getting information from Europe, all of a sudden?"

An uncomfortable expression crossed her face. "Well..."

"Don't tell me?"

"Yeah. Someone from the Agency who's undercover over there."

Tony winced. "CIA? I hate spooks."

McGee shook his head. "Gibbs hates them even more. He is not gonna like this."

"Well, hello, McTittletattle, that's why we're not gonna tell him. At least, not till he's back in DC and has people to yell at besides _us_. Right?" Tony looked between the two of them, and after a second they both nodded.

"Usually I'd remind you he knows when you're lying, Tony, but in this case I think it might be worth the risk. He's pissed enough about having to work with the FBI. Apparently the Agency guy was here a couple of weeks back, for that embassy party - he even danced with Kate."

"He's CIA and he got near Kate? He's probably lucky he's back in France..."

"Yeah. Well anyway, he must've had access to sources we don't... Somehow he had information about what was going down, and I guess his interests and ours overlapped. And... that's pretty much all I know."

They sat in silence for a few moments, digesting the information.

"Anything else going on we should know about?" McGee finally asked.

"Not that I know of. The cover's still secure, the only gossip they've overheard about Gibbs and Kate is whether she's really a call girl or actually his mistress or something." She chuckled. "As long as they've got that to speculate about, the biggest risk is that someone else will try and employ her and Gibbs will get arrested for assault, but I think he scared the crap out of that first guy. I'm betting word got around."

"So, back to the most important thing," said Tony. "Do I get to go back to being Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo? I'm gettin' really sick of being called 'more wine, waiter' and 'my steak is overdone' and stuff..."

"Aw, poor baby. It'll all be over soon."

"How soon, Abs? That's what I want to know."

"Sorry, Tony, you're gonna have to hang on in there till tomorrow. If there's even a chance they could get more dirt on this guy... it's not a get out of jail free card, hon."

"Damn. I shoulda known."

"Anyway, I gotta get back to my boys, but make sure pass the message on to Kate and Gibbs."

"Your boys?" Tim looked suddenly suspicious, and Abby chuckled, shaking her head affectionately.

"I meant Major Mass Spec and the gang, Timmy. Talk later!"

Abruptly she severed the connection.

"Well, I guess we better pass the message on, McParanoid. You call Gibbs, I'll take Kate."

"You too chicken to call the boss man while he's driving, DiNozzo?"

Tony scowled. McGee knew he was incapable of letting a challenge like that go by, even though he'd totally been planning to make Probie face Gibbs' indiscriminate road rage. His choices were to let McGee outwit him, or to be called a coward for avoiding Gibbs.

_I'll get even later_, he promised himself, and feigned an unconcerned shrug. "No, no, I'll take Gibbs if you're scared." At least the reception was so bad that by the time he got through, Gibbs might actually be off the roads.

Before McGee could protest about the insult being turned back on him, Tony was already dialling.

* * *

**A/N**

I'm not usually one for author's notes that stick around, but this chapter owes a huge debt of thanks to Shywriter who helped me do better than legal fudging and hand waving. Those errors that couldn't be fixed had to stay in, but any factuality here is thanks to Shywriter's help! As is the fact that it took a week to post and not a month or three :-)


	45. Impatience

**_GIBBS_**

Gibbs slammed the car round the corners of the narrow roads that lead to the house as if he held a personal grudge against the asphalt. He had thoroughly resented this drive into the city. Instinct said that although Kate had told DiNozzo and McGee she wanted time alone, he could've invited himself along. They'd be strolling through the sunlit grounds, talking, stealing kisses, holding hands, enjoying one another's company away from prying eyes...

He gave himself a mental slap. When had he become such a complete sap?

This wasn't a holiday, and spending quality time with Kate was not the mission they'd been tasked to accomplish. _Get your head on straight._ He'd had to remind himself of that far too many times in the last couple of days.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to silence the voice in his head pointing out that he was out of the city, surrounded by beauty and luxury, with the woman he... really, really liked. The fact he even noticed how romantic the place could be showed how far gone he was._ One more day, one more day_...

Even in the privacy of his own head he really didn't like to admit that he'd also been afraid to leave her there alone. If Kate knew that, he'd be in serious trouble. She was capable, well trained, strong - it would take a skilled and lucky assailant to do her any harm. But realising how deeply he cared about her had also forced him to face how scared he was of losing her.

Part of him had wanted to tell her about the dream she'd woken him from this morning. After their first encounter with Ari, it had been a recurring feature of his nights for several months, but then it had become rare enough that he'd almost managed to forget about it it till it reappeared: Kate, lifeless on the autopsy table, a bullet wound in her forehead, her skin ghostly from blood loss, her unseeing eyes staring blankly up at him.

Ari taunting him and rejoicing in his pain.

It was a haunting image, one that he couldn't easily shake off, and it didn't take a psychologist to figure out it was prompted by fear. Losing her then would have been bad enough, but in the meantime she'd become ever more important to him, and that made some primal, illogical part of him terrified. The sheer relief and joy of surfacing from the nightmare and seeing her alive had flattened any inhibitions he had left, and he could almost be grateful, considering the outcome. But he would definitely feel better once he was back at the house and could watch her six.

He just prayed they would have an easy time placing the last few bugs, then have a few hours where they could forget about work without feeling guilty. He was trying not to think about sharing a bed for a third night, but his mind kept betraying him with unhelpful and completely distracting thoughts. Maybe tonight, if he was really, really lucky, she'd wear one of those silky little nighties...

He shook his head to derail his imagination. He had to get himself back in one piece first, and visions of his Katie in soft, revealing satin would do nothing for his driving skills. He couldn't wait till they could get out of here. Then he could have her to himself and spend some time showing her exactly how much she meant to him. Only a day to go. It was definitely a happy thought, and he couldn't suppress the grin.

His cell started to ring as he finally pulled into the driveway and he pulled the car round in a tight circle, glanced around to check no overly helpful valets were about to appear, and dug in his pocket for the cussed thing. _DiNozzo_. Whatever it was that was delaying him from getting this job done and then spending some serious quality time with Kate, he mused, it had better be damned important.

"Gibbs."


	46. Failure

**_TONY_**

After a fruitless twenty minutes, they had to admit defeat, and now Tony really wished he'd agreed with McGee that he was a coward and made him take Gibbs anyway.

Of course, given the situation, there was no way he'd actually have made the probie make this particular call. He didn't often show it, but he liked McGee a lot, and would never have thrown him to the lions like that.

It would've made him feel just a little better, though, to act like doing it was his magnanimous way of saving Tim from Gibbs' wrath.

He found himself willing the call not to connect, or for Gibbs not to answer. It was stupid - Gibbs would find out, and if it wasn't from his field agents, said field agents were gonna get their asses kicked into next week at the very least, but that didn't stop him feeling like a little boy who knew he was in serious trouble with his father. The special agent in him knew the information needed to be disseminated as quickly as possible, but that little boy would've welcomed any delay.

The phone rang long enough Tony thought he might get diverted to voicemail, and then-

"Gibbs."

_Damn_. He couldn't get hold of the man to tell them there was a breakthrough, but the second they had a problem?

Gibbs sounded like he was already in a foul mood. When Tony could tell that from one word, it didn't bode well.

"We got good news and bad news, boss."

Even over the telephone, Gibbs' growl made them both flinch. "What?"

"Well the FBI made a breakthrough in the case, they got a tip, but-"

"The FBI? Surprised Fornell didn't ring me himself."

"Well they got a tip from the CIA..." Tony wasn't sure what possessed him to admit that, except that it meant a stay of execution before the news that would make Gibbs want to kill him.

"The CIA? I hate-" OK, scratch that, Gibbs definitely already wanted to kill him.

"Yeah, we know you do, Boss, but actually that's not the bad news-"

"The CIA's involved and that's the _good_ news?"

There was no easy way to do this, and McGee visibly swallowed. Tony tried to give a reassuring smile, but judging by the reaction it came out as anything but.

"Speak."

There was no more stalling. Tony took a deep breath. "Boss, we lost Kate."

There was an ominous pause. "You _lost_ her?" Gibbs' voice was eerily quiet, a sure sign of imminent danger. "What the hell do you mean you lost her?"

"We can't find her..."

"I don't need a definition, McGee, I need an explanation."

Tim looked like he was literally about to pee his pants. Normally, that would've been highly amusing, but right now Tony could empathise. He quickly intervened. "She went for a walk in the grounds of the place, and she told us to quit bothering her, so-"

"So you didn't stay in contact? What did I tell you two this morning?"

They looked at one another.

"She wanted some time alone-"

"We just thought-"

"To have a thought, you have to think, McGee. What were you two thinking?"

Tony pulled a face. Tim still looked like he might wet himself any second, and really, there was nothing they could say that was going to make Gibbs happy. They just had to hope they hadn't screwed up quite as badly as it felt like they had.

"It might just be another malfunction with the bugs," he offered.

It was a crappy explanation, and he was surprised when Gibbs seemed to latch on to it. "Well, she has more sense and self preservation instincts than the pair of you - combined." His tone was acidic, but he sounded a tiny bit less like he wanted to reach through the phone line and throttle them both. "She's probably out of range, or, or, taking a nap or something..." There was a pause, and when he spoke again Tony almost thought he heard a note of pleading in Gibbs' voice. "Are you sure she didn't say...?"

"Tim gave her your message when she got outside, and that's the last we heard from her, Boss."

There was another silence, long enough that Tony began to wonder if Gibbs had cut them off.

"I'll look for her. And you two will stay in contact and will keep trying to get hold of her, and the second you hear or see anything-"

"We'll let you know, Boss."

"Damn right you will." The fury was back in his voice, and it was almost a relief - when Gibbs started sounding uncertain or worried, it freaked Tony out.

"Sorry, Boss." They both knew his policy on apologies, but Tony could easily understand why Tim felt the need to say it anyway. The only response from the other end of the line was another growl, followed quickly by the line being cut. When Gibbs couldn't even bring himself to quote his rules at them...

Through the mic they could hear Gibbs swearing under his breath, and then the background noise of multiple conversations told them he was back in the house.

Tony let himself relax for a second, taking a deep breath for the first time since Gibbs had picked up, and turned to his partner.

"McGee, we _really_ gotta find Kate."

McGee could only nod.

* * *

**_NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS_**

A/N:

I try not to rely on authors's notes, but I am making an(other) exception because the endgame of this fanfic is kicking my butt a bit!

I'm sorry for the delay, and also that the end of this story might take me a while to post - I want to get it right and not leave myself any nasty plot tangles to sort out. We are on the home stretch so never fear! But the kind of organisation it takes to tie things up in a satisfying manner is my weak point, so please please please bear with me.

I promise I have no plans to abandon the story, even if it takes a while to get to the finish line, and thank you for sticking with me, especially those who've been reading since February. I will do my absolute best to make it worth your time and your patience, and I'm hugely grateful that you guys have kept reading. Thanks!


	47. Determination

My apologies for slowness - real life and a cold have been kicking my butt. Thanks for bearing with me, and I will keep on writing! I'm getting there...

* * *

**_KATE_**

For a long time the pounding, spiteful headache chased away anything other than the awareness of pain. When it started to recede a little, other things became apparent. It was dark - or at least she couldn't see, and she'd prefer to think that meant darkness rather than blindness. There was an unpleasantly sweet smell in her nose and mouth, and judging by the feel of her head bumping against something hard she was both badly bruised and travelling.

Why that was, she had no idea, and trying to think about it made her head hurt even more. The vehicle turned sharply right and the bumping grew worse till she thought she might throw up.

"Shit."

The involuntary curse earned her a sharp slap across the face, and she tasted blood in her mouth. Attempting to retaliate brought into sharp focus the restraints around her ankles and wrists, and the nausea welled up again.

She retched, but at least she had a clearer idea of the situation. Even though she didn't remember it, it seemed like someone had abducted her. _Gibbs is gonna kill me for this._ It was less painful to imagine him angry than to imagine him concerned or afraid. The memory of his strained admission, the confession that he was scared of losing her, that was not something she could give in to right now.

"I'm not going to give up," she murmured to herself, risking being overheard because she needed to hear herself say it out loud. As soon as they realised she was missing, they'd start searching for her, and whoever had kidnapped her had no idea just how dogged Team Gibbs could be when one of their own was threatened. For her part, she wasn't about to sit around and wait to be rescued.

Her head was still swimming, and what had happened was a blank so complete it frightened her, but there were two things of which she was absolutely certain:

One way or another, she was getting out of this mess. And when she did, she was gonna make her captors pay.

"I am _not_ gonna give up," she said again. This time it was a whispered promise to herself, to her friends, and to Gibbs. Right now, all she could do was try to rest and pray her headache subsided. And as soon as she had the chance, she'd find out what she'd got caught up in, and start to plan her escape.


	48. The Unspoken Rule

Apologies that this has taken **so** long to post! Trust me, I'm not giving up on this story - it's just taking longer than I'd like to get it out of my head and on to paper! Hope it's worth the wait :-)

* * *

**_GIBBS_**

She wasn't in their room, she wasn't by the pool, and no one had seen her since their late breakfast. Despite his best efforts, Gibbs could feel the stress building up in his body, leaving him feeling weak and vulnerable.

It was taking all his energy, all his willpower, all his strength not to start banging heads and breaking down doors. Kate was supposed to be a friend, a casual lover. Even behind the concerned but collected façade he was wearing for the benefit of the other guests, he was only supposed to be her boss. These few weeks and especially the last three days had broken down the walls of "supposed to be" that had allowed him to deny his feelings for her for nearly two years, and her sudden and inexplicable disappearance was like someone pressing on a recently reopened wound.

He couldn't even entertain the thought that after finally giving in to how much she meant to him, he might lose her after all. If he'd had any illusions left about just how important she was in his life, they were gone now.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't daydream about a woman, he didn't get distracted from a case, he didn't let his mind wander as he drove, he didn't let his emotions cloud his judgement. And he sure as hell didn't panic because a member of his team - an adult, a highly trained agent, a woman who could hold her own in any situation, who had protected the president - had gone AWOL for an hour or two. He hadn't done any of those things in years.

And yet here he was doing all of them, and realising with fear that he was behaving like a man desperately in love and utterly terrified.

With a casual air he didn't remotely feel, he had told their host he would go see if he could find her out in the gardens, her destination the last time anyone had been in contact with her. As he strode away from the house, he rang her cell once more, in desperate hope that she had it with her and maybe she'd just lost coverage for a while.

No joy, and he barked an order at DiNozzo to give HQ a sitrep. Whether or not he stood any realistic chance at finding her if she had simply lost track of time enjoying the beauty and the spring sunshine he didn't know, but it beat hanging around inside and having to pretend he wasn't losing his mind with worry.

And at least it meant he had something to do and the distant possibility that he might bump into her at any second, and they'd laugh at his over protectiveness together, and he would tell her all the things he wished he had said this morning before he left.

He held on to that hope as he surveyed the grounds, forcing himself to push aside his roiling emotions and let his training, skills and instincts as a Marine take over. If she was still here, he would find her.

_And if she isn't?_

He shook the thought away, knowing it could only distract him. _Wherever she is, I will find her. You do what you have to for the people you care about_. He couldn't remember who'd said that to him, but it was true. It was true of his entire team, but for Kate...

"I will find you, Katie."

It was a whispered promise to himself as much as to her.

He would find her. Failure was not an option.


	49. Rule 16

**_KATE_**

The room was dingy and cold, but Kate was grateful to be out of the stuffy darkness in the back of the van. She was too disorientated by nausea to have a clear idea of just how far they'd travelled, and the bright sunlight outside had exacerbated her headache and been almost blinding when they'd finally opened the van doors. However, they didn't seem bothered that she had seen some of their surroundings, they had, albeit temporarily, unbound her feet, and they seemed careless about hiding their own faces or worrying whether she was a flight risk. She got the distinct impression they weren't all that experienced and that this wasn't a terribly well planned escapade. Either that, or they just didn't imagine she had the balls or ability to try and get away.

Whatever the reasons, it gave her hope for her escape. Laid out facedown on a table as she currently was, a gun in the side of her neck, she badly needed it.

She felt a hand slide up between her legs and tensed, then took a deep, relieved breath when she realised she was being searched, not felt up. It didn't make her feel much better as her captor slipped a hand under her top, but she held on to that small mercy. Feeling violated by the unwanted touch was bad enough, but realising she was all but defenceless against assault was sickening.

It reminded her all too much of Ari frisking her in autopsy; feeling powerless, not being able to stop someone doing whatever they wanted. These men didn't seem nearly as ruthless and calculating as him, though, nor as intelligent. She clung to that thought, to the probability that they would make mistakes, and she would be ready to take advantage.

"Turn over."

She responded rapidly to the barked command. Tempting as it was to needle them or put up a fight, she resisted. If they thought she was clueless and afraid, they would get more careless, they would continue to underestimate her. Her best weapon was their ignorance.

_Rule 16_, she reminded herself: 'If someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.' They clearly had no idea they were dealing with a federal agent, and that was something she could and would use, infuriating as it was to play the damsel in distress. She mitigated her frustration by carefully noting exactly which of her kidnappers was a bit too rough or took a little too much pleasure in patting her down, promising herself that she would exact her revenge first chance she got.

Eventually they appeared satisfied that she wasn't carrying anything that could harm them or track their whereabouts, and she was roughly helped up and shoved into a chair. After tying her wrists and ankles to it, they left her alone, and she heard the clattering of their footsteps fade away as they went downstairs.

_Finally_. It was a relief to have the chance to get her bearings, although a cursory glance around the room was enough to set her head pounding again. It was painfully clear that she needed to get some rest before she could start thinking seriously about how she would get out of this mess. She allowed her eyes to close and got as comfortable as she could. If Gibbs could sleep through turbulence on canvas seats slung between cargo pallets, she told herself, she would find some way to rest in this less than ideal situation. The thought of him made her smile.

"Please let them find me soon." She offered up the involuntary plea like a prayer, and hoped the God she still mostly believed in was listening. She would choose to trust, in him, in Gibbs, in her team. They would not give up. Gibbs would not give up. She would not give up.

"I will not give up," she reminded herself out loud. The determination in her own voice was enough to give some comfort, and somehow it allowed her to relax. "I am not going to give up." It was a promise, one she fully intended to keep. "'M not gonna give up." And finally, her exhausted body and mind somewhat reassured, she drifted off to sleep.


	50. Track and Trace

**A/N:** My apologies this is taking so long. I have not given up, life has just been running me ragged. See alternate ending for Kibbs fluff to tide you over ;) and thank you all for being patient and sticking around for so long!

* * *

**_ABBY_**

"The signal's patchy, Gibbs, it's probably 'cause you're out in the sticks, I'm sure Kate can't be far..." She trailed off. She sounded absolutely unconvincing even to her own ears.

He just growled. Being forwarded to Kate's voicemail had them all concerned, but the fact that when her cell did ring there was no answer was almost worse. Abby was trying to keep her own panic out of her voice.

It was obvious Gibbs was incredibly worried, even though he was also obviously trying to hide it, and Gibbs was not a man who got worried over nothing.

The last time she could remember him being like this was when Ari had abducted Kate nearly a year ago. He'd been agitated then; he was frantic now. She hoped dearly that this would turn out to be a false alarm.

"OK, you must be close now, if this trace is accurate you're almost on top of it- I mean, her." She wanted to kick herself. Gibbs' anxiety was catching, and she'd promised herself she was going to stay positive, for his sake if nothing else.

"I can't see her, Abby."

She was tempted to snap at him to look harder, but bit her tongue. "I'll call her cell, that should help you find her." _Got it right that time_. The fact he couldn't see Kate was discouraging, but she would keep hoping until he confirmed the worst.

"You dialling yet?"

She bit back another retort. "Just typing the number in. OK, it should start to ring any second."

There was silence, then she could hear Kate's distinctive ringtone, albeit distorted through the phone line, and Gibbs muttering and swearing as he apparently navigated some surprisingly rough terrain to reach it.

"Shit."

Abby screwed up her eyes. This could not be good. "No Kate?"

"No Kate, and her cell was thrown in the rose bushes by the pool house."

She winced.

"Abby... there's blood."

His voice cracked and Abby swallowed hard, then took a deep breath, forcing her voice not to wobble. "How much?"

There was a pause, and she thought she heard him swallow too before he continued. "Not a lot. But..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Blood and a cellphone deliberately discarded meant nothing good.

"It's probably not hers." 'Probably' might be pushing it, but she had to put the possibility out there. As she spoke, she typed furiously. The sooner everyone involved got this information and started looking for Kate, the better.

"Someone's taken her, Abs."

It was a sound conclusion, and she couldn't think of a good argument against it. Taking another deep breath, she forced herself into work mode. If Gibbs was right, and it seemed likely that he was, the best thing she could do right now was to use all her skills and ingenuity to figure out the why, who, and how. Then they might find the where, and then they could get her back.

"Why would they kidnap her?"

"We were getting too close, that's why."

She chewed on her lip. "You think they know she's a Fed?"

There was silence at the end of the line. He obviously did think that, and it wasn't a happy thought. Getting on the wrong side of the powerful, unscrupulous people they'd been schmoozing was not a safe pastime.

"Abs, I need... I need..."

"We'll find her, Gibbs." She injected as much certainty into her voice as she could. "I already sent an alert to McGee and DiNozzo, I've told the director, the FBI have been informed, we are _all_ over this..."

She heard him sigh. "Keep me updated."

There was a click as he disconnected, and Abby gave herself a few seconds to regroup, then went back to her computer. Although she felt powerless, she wasn't. She had skills, and she was going to use them.

"Hang on in there, Kate. We're gonna find you."


End file.
